Encouraging Digital Media

I’m trying to more systematically work in the reading, reflecting, and sometimes responding (if it’s an online text with a response space) to various scholarly texts. You know, keeping up with the profession. Of course, trying to follow multiple disciplines is difficult, but it keeps me out of trouble (kinda sorta). Today I read Debra Journet’s (2007) “Inventing myself in multimodality: Encouraging senior faculty to use digital media” (Computers and Composition, 24, 107-120). Obviously this will be something that will be extremely useful in wrapping up the dissertation! I really liked the following points:
1. The challenge of learning the technology is generally easier than the challenge of figuring how/why it will better facilitate learning in w writing class (p. 110).
2. “One needs technological know-how, and one one also needs a scaffold--prior knowledge, experience, a theoretical framework--on which to build something new “ (p. 112).
3. The need to both “learn by doing” and learn on a “meta-level” that makes connections across “a complex system of interrelated parts” (p. 114).
4. The acknowledgment that once you start teaching with technologies your classes may have “rough edges for a long time--if not forever” (p. 116).

The article also lists four suggestions for engaging “senior” faculty with new technologies. I’m thrilled that they seem to jive with what I’ve learned in my dissertation study as well as with what I’ve learned via experience:
1. engage intellectually and value experience
2. get them to use it for themselves and analyze that use (don’t immediately jump to teaching with)
3. facilitate creativity and fun
4. consider “longer, intensive professional development experiences that balance theory and practice” (p. 117)

On a quick side note, I was surprised by the anecdotal format of the article. Interestingly, that was meta-commented upon by Journet. I know that the field of computers and writing has worked very hard to move beyond “anecdotal” reporting of experiences of certain technologies. Although I agree there needs to be more empirical work, I also think it is important that we continue to have a balance between empirical with more critical reflective pieces. I’m glad to see C&C published this piece!

July 25 2007 | Posted in Reading