Media-Enriched Analysis in Writ 100/101

Introduction:

In 2015, the department curriculum shifted focus away from using traditional textbooks to a mix of low-cost and open resources. Students purchased an inexpensive digital subscription to the New York Times as their reader and used resources from Excelsior College’s Online Writing Lab to guide them in their composition assignments. Using the digital version of a newspaper compelled students to consider timely topics and analyze a variety of media-rich resources, which included video, podcasts, photo essays, and interactive graphics.

Writ 100/101 Previous Curriculum

• Students examined and analyzed readings from a traditional textbook for all units, not considering different modes of communication in their analysis.

Writ 100/101 Revised Curriculum

• Students examined and analyzed media-rich content from the digital version of the New York Times for all units in the curriculum, including traditional text, hypertext, interactive graphics, images, podcasts, and documentary videos.

Revised Writ 100/Writ 101 Syllabus

• Watkins Writ 100/101 Syllabus

Example Assignments from the DWR Assignment Library

• NYT Analysis Assignment Options and Supporting Materials

Examples of Multimedia Resources from the New York Times:

OpDocs, Retro Report Videos, Room for Debate, The Daily Podcast, and Look.

Problems Encountered

After piloting the New York Times curriculum, many students reported that they disliked using digital resources over the experience of a traditional textbook. Some student comments that stood out from my survey:

• “I do not like technology and prefer a textbook to read from instead of a screen.”

• “I like working with a textbook because you can take notes and highlight important stuff.”

• “Textbooks are better because you don’t have to rely on an internet connection to access the material.”

My Contribution to Address Issues

I applied for and received a Technology Integration Grant from the University of Mississippi Office of Design and eLearning to pilot a digital highlighting tool, so that students could replicate the process of highlighting and annotating traditional textbooks in a digital space.

Link to Faculty Technology Grant Video

Reading, Commenting, and Highlighting Tools

Impact

While I was not able to address issues of internet connectivity or screen vs. print reading preference, the option of giving students a digital note-taking tool helped increase their engagement and exploration of media. Additionally, giving faculty access and training to free resources helped students make the transition to the new media-rich curriculum.