- “the role of multimodality [is] a means to more effectively communicate ideas and engage readers” (562)
- “the best approach to incorporating multimodal composition into course design is as an accompaniment to the traditional, paper-based essay, not a replacement” (562).
- reflection plays a critical role in making meaning in multimodal compositions. “In the case of multimodal projects, the abilities to make relevant connections (i.e., learn from experience) and to reflect on a topic with depth and creativity are essential in successful multimodal composition… In fact, failure to approach multimodality in such a reflective way leads, too often, to projects that fall flat” (562).
- Like new media texts, multimodal texts do not need to be digital. “What qualifies a compositionas multimodal is simply that it appeals to more than one type of literacy” (564).
- “teaching multimodal composition is a time-consuming endeavor with no guarantees of success” (565)
- “before we can expect our students to find success in this new genre of composing, we must first help them understand elements of successful multimodal writing… Before we invite — or require — our students to compose multimodally, we must provide them with the concepts and tools of this emerging genre” (566)
Key Term
- Multimodality: “the interplay of meaning-making systems (alphabetic, oral, visual, etc.) that teachers and students should strive to produce” (562).