Abstract
 In this webtext, I explore the interdisciplinary theory of system organization as a heuristic to promote students’ awareness of the connectedness between a website’s digital infrastructure and the development of multimodal texts. The theory of system organization was developed by Robert Glushko in 2013 and emerges from a hybrid of disciplines including computer science, information systems, and cognitive science. When used as a theoretical framework, system organization can provide a reconceptualization of innovative digital interfaces (such as Twitter or YouTube) by revealing the underlying design features of the interface—design features which can be traced to thousands of years ago. The analysis of a site’s design features (i.e. its digital infrastructure) provides a generative heuristic for the learning, teaching, and development of multimodal texts.
Which social media site "reaches more adults 18-34 than any cable network"?
What role does a "folksonomy" play in catapulting media into a viral frenzy?
How can analyzing the arrangement of gym equipment inform a pedagogy centering on multimodal composition?

about the author

Maggie Melo is a PhD student in the Rhetoric, Composition, and Teaching of English program at the University of Arizona. Her current research domains include prosumer cultures and rhetorics in web 2.0 environments and critical pedagogies.