Writing in the Digital Age

Chapter 1

What are the five MODES of communication?

Linguistic Mode

• Word choice
• Delivery of spoken or written text
• Organization of writing / speech into phrases, paragraphs, etc.
• Development / coherence of individual words and ideas
• Ex. CAT WOMAN vs CAT LADY

Am I right?

Visual Mode

• Color
• Layout
• Style
• Size
• Perspective

What do you notice in terms of visuals?

Aural Mode

• Music
• Sound effects / ambient noise
• Tone of voice in spoken language
• Volume of sound
• Emphasis & accent
• SILENCE

Spatial Mode

• Arrangement
• Organization
• Proximity between people or objects

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Gestural Mode

• Facial expressions                              
• Hand gestures
• Body language
• Interaction between people

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Chapter 2

Considering Audience

• Who is the intended audience?
• Who might be the secondary audience(s)?
• What values/opinions does the audience hold?
• Does the author appeal to these values/opinions in any way?

Considering Purpose

• What is the overall intention of the text? How can you tell?
• Might there be a secondary purpose(s) ? Why do you think so?

Considering Context

• What is the medium (print, CD, etc)?
• Where did you find the text?
• What were the historical conventions for this type of text?
• What are the social and cultural connotations within the text?
• How will readers interact with the text?

Considering Author

• How does the author establish personal credibility?
• How does the author come across?
• Does the author have a certain reputation?
• Can you find biographical info on the author?

Considering Genre

• How might you define the genre of the text?
• In what ways is the text similar to other texts in this genre?
• What key features make it part of the genre you've defined?

"You may never know everything there is to know about the author's intended purpose or audience. Additionally, there isn't always (or ever) a 'right' answer when analyzing a text. What we can do is learn how to analyze texts so that we can better guess, hypothesize, or even create a theory about how a text works and why...If you can analyze how a text works, you can often apply that understanding to the design of your own text" (p. 27)

Sample Multimodal Project:
"7 Billion: Are you Typical" (from National Geographic Magazine)


> As we watch, jot down anything you notice in terms of MODES (linguistic, visual, aural, spatial, gestural) or RHETORIC (audience, purpose, context, author, genre)

Multimodal Examples

Genre Presentations

Sample Genre Presentation

NOW: Begin conducting research on your genre. Brainstorm a list of several potential sites.

Homework!