Reconstructing social futures: digital voices in first-year writing

This thesis explores the benefits of bringing students' out-of-school digital literacies into the first-year composition (FYC) classroom, and investigates whether or not this can provide students access to critically analyze their actions on these platforms. I taught a self-designed FYC course focusing on critically producing, and consuming, self-representations on the social networking sites Facebook and Instagram. Through a grounded theory approach, I completed an analysis of 17 students' assigned blog posts and surveys, and selected six students to construct richly descriptive portraits (RDPs). The RDPs are chronological narratives that invite students to act as discussion partners by integrating their voices, and shed light on their differing levels of critical digital literacy skills. I explore how students' use of social networking sites does not always necessitate a critical use, and investigate how students construct and perform digital identities on these platforms. I conclude by explaining why preparing the future citizens of our global economy must entail providing students with the critical digital literacy skills needed to actively participate in modern communicative modes. As composition instructors are also teachers of communication, this is our responsibility.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Grantor dc:publisher

Colorado State University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Authors dc:creator

• LaPadura, Emily, author
• Sloane, Sarah, advisor
• Doe, Sue, committee member
• Coke, Pamela, committee member
• Steele, Catherine, committee member

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25675/3.018773

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mountainscholar.org:10217/167253