Graduate Program
English
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
2012
Thesis Director
Tim Taylor
Thesis Committee Member
Daiva Markelis
Thesis Committee Member
Melissa Ames
Abstract
This thesis explores the possible use of sketching as a pedagogical tool in the first-year composition classroom. The digital age has brought with it a wealth of new (and culturally significant) multimodal compositions, that is, compositions that use multiple modes of communication. In particular, visual modes of communication are growing increasingly important. Furthermore, new ways of sharing information has lead to an accelerating proliferation of new media that increasingly blends visual and verbal elements in the creation of compositions. College students, in the midst of grappling with these new challenges, and with the promise of unforeseen multimodal genres in the future, will need the ability not only to dissect specific genres, but also to develop methods for understanding and creating a wide range of multimodal texts. To equip students with the tools they will need to construct these constantly shifting multimodal compositions, this thesis argues that teachers should use sketching to afford students the opportunity to create images as well as analyze them. By synthesizing a concept of sketching from a number of literary, professional, and academic sources, this thesis seeks to understand the value of sketching as a powerful tool to promote problem-solving, idea generation, and the communication of visual ideas.
Recommended Citation
Webb, Kenneth P., "Sketching as an ally in the first-year composition classroom" (2012). Masters Theses. 830.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/830
