Constructing Meaning through Textual and Visual Elements in the First-Year Composition Classroom
Abstract
Inspired by methods of meaning-making in comic books, this thesis answers the question of how First-Year Composition students make meaning out of textual and visual elements to understand the concepts of authorship and composition. The thesis begins with considering definitions of textual and visual elements in the context of how they are used as learning materials when paired together or when sharing characteristics. Following these definitions is a collection of scholarly examples about how visual elements have been used by students as rhetorical objects to aid in their understanding of course concepts. Teacher research was the chosen methodology for this thesis study, which was conducted in two First-Year Composition Classes. The research concerned the analysis of student submissions of a newly designed assignment in which students were tasked with pairing visual and textual elements and reflecting on both to develop an understanding of their composition processes in different settings. Students made meaning of these elements by describing specific affects related to the writing process that were expressed within a particular setting. Students completed this assignment with a broader understanding of their individual composition processes by examining what they do as authors and what external elements they recognize as influencing their writing.
Subject Area
Rhetoric
Recommended Citation
Martinez, Sebastian, "Constructing Meaning through Textual and Visual Elements in the First-Year Composition Classroom" (2022). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI29209121.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI29209121