Using multimodal collaboration in a composition classroom can seem daunting at first, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives of such an endeavor. Collaborative writing in a multimodal context is similar to alphabetic writing. Such collaborative work requires the authors in the project to use multiple bases of knowledge. It requires that knowledge be combined as authors approach "the project's topic, its dominant modalities, the technology used for recording and editing, the medium in which the project is read or circulated, and the conventions or expectations of audiences" (Selfe, 39). Since learning is often socially constructed, collaborating on multimodal projects is a naturally beneficial process. Collaboration incorporates the collective knowledge of a group of students, rather than having each student rely on his or her own ideas and experiences to complete an assignment. This allows the multimodal text to capitalize on the knowledge, viewpoints, and different areas of expertise that participants in a collaborative assignment bring to the table. By combining the various knowledge, viewpoints, and skill sets of students working collaboratively, the end product reflects a broader knowledge base than that of an individual student. Going beyond the classroom walls to students around the world is also a possibility of multimodal collaborative composition. The results could be endless when a collaborative assignment incorporates the knowledge, opinions, and skills of students in different countries.

Students must learn visual literacy which includes materials such as "photographs, videos, films, animations, still images, pictures, drawings, graphics" (69). Dealing with the visual means considering the designer, the actual design, viewers, and how such new media texts can be viewed or read. Selfe espouses that literacies are "historically and culturally situated, constructed, and valued" (69). As educators, we must become versed in the rhetoric of visual literacies and help our students critically read such texts. Without these skills, people are vulnerable to misreading or even being manipulated by those who are versed in visual literacies. Learning digital literacies is a social practice "through which we define meanings and values and discover the effects of our meanings and actions on others" (Selfe, 186). Helping students view digital texts through a critical lens is perhaps the strongest case we have as educators to defend our practices. People encounter new m edia and visual texts on a daily basis; being capable of navigating through these various texts will inevitably reveal how successful our students become.

Collaborative multimodal composition exposes students to new writing experiences. When a student is asked to compose an essay, he or she often researches and makes conclusions based on one's own opinions and viewpoints. Part of English 111 is to teach a student how to organize and communicate his or her thoughts to a particular audience. This is usually taught through use of an outline emphasizing clarity. The following YouTube clip provides a method of student teaching that introduces the student to differing opinions, controversies, and thoughts of confusion - all from collaboration. By working collaboratively on a composition piece, the group effort widens the viewpoints of each student in the group and helps produce a more broad, collective perspective.

The following commercial by Tide is an example of a possible assignment students could grapple with and analyze. Who is the intended audience? What is the message? Who is included and who is left out? Is it successful? And a plethora of other questions you can include.