In Participatory Culture, new media and digital culture scholar Sarah J. Arroyo writes “Electracy emphasizes a multiplicity of meanings for any one concept, supports imagination, and encourages creativity and invention.” Here, Arroyo builds on Gregory Ulmer’s theory of “electracy,” the unique construction of literacy and rhetorical skills necessary to composing and communicating in predominantly digital communities and modes. I use Arroyo’s quote as an epigraph for Writing, Research, and Technology since it so aptly captures my goal for that course in particular and, more generally, my approach to teaching.

When teaching and designing syllabi and assignments, I focus on encouraging students to think critically and flexibly, emphasizing the multiple meanings possible within a text or when expressing an idea. This emphasis also encourages student agency by valuing and embracing their personal interpretation of course material. Students are often surprised, daunted, and refreshed when I answer their questions with, “that’s up to you.”

I have also leaned on Gunther Kress’ theories on multimodality. In the introduction to his book Literacy in the New Media Age, Kress writes “If modes have distinct affordances then their potentials for representing are partial.” This statement is central to my current and evolving understanding of composing and rhetoric and central to how I design and conduct my courses. I reserve a class meeting in Writing, Research, and Technology to unpack this statement’s concepts and implications since it is the essence of what the students as advanced writers will be exploring and challenging.

Understanding the affordances of modes, their application and utilization in various rhetorical situations, and the ultimate influence on the audience allows for effective and unexpected meaning-making. Later in that passage, Kress goes on to ask what “is distinctive about the resource of [alphabetic] writing?” Grappling with this question in a “writing” course develops a dynamic and nuanced approach to composing in all forms. Challenging the role and affordances of written texts and the written mode doesn’t diminish traditional writing, but allows writers and rhetoricians to explore new possibilities and more effectively, and enthusiastically, adapt to unfamiliar situations and purposes.

As someone technologically apt and digitally literate, I naturally felt comfortable engaging and expressing myself in the varied spaces multimodality encourages. This informs how I structure my class sessions and activities to more actively engage students beyond traditional lecture as well as connecting with diverse learning styles. I work to – and encourage students to – abandon the strict traditional definition of “text” as instructor-prescribed, written, formal, and unquestionable. My goal is to encourage students to see texts such as websites, profiles, videos, and images in society around them and to see society and contemporary culture as texts.

Inherent in the shift from print to digital Ulmer identifies with electracy is the opportunity for increased collaboration and democratization. This is evident in the discourses of contemporary society and I leverage similar tools in cultivating a more egalitarian classroom. Work and drafts are often shared with the class, fostering a sense of community — Arroyo’s participatory culture — where students can learn from each other and not just the “authority.”

While I do occasionally use the term “assignments,” I much prefer “projects”; it lacks the coercion and hierarchy implied by work “assigned” by a higher authority and encourages student ownership and agency as they willingly explore and develop projects, instead of simply aiming to complete assigned obstacles between them and a final grade. Presenting multimedia and multimodal material actively engages students, and hands-on activities and application of concepts reinforces a sense of cooperation. In a nod to the “flipped classroom,” throughout the semester, I incorporate in-class workshops that allow students to consult me as they are composing, rather than working outside of class without assistance. I often solicit their feedback on activities, assignments, and approaches. Students should believe that they have a participatory role in their education and society and are not simply checking off requirements toward a grade or degree.

Arroyo, Sarah J. Participatory Composition: Video Culture, Writing, and Electracy. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2013. Web.

Kress, Gunther. Literacy in the New Media Age. London: Routledge, 2003.