Introduction
Much scholarly attention in the computers and writing community has been paid to the theory and practice of integrating digital technologies in individual writing classrooms. A variety of Computers and Composition Online webtexts, for example, describe individual instructors' innovative digital assignments, such as Prezi Literacy Narratives and machinima video (Laflen, 2014; Remley, 2012), as well as how instructors are engaging students in explorations of new literacies, such as video games and fan fiction (Arduini, 2014). Not only have individual teachers integrated digital literacies into their courses, but professional organizations in rhetoric and composition have issued policies and statements to support movements toward digital and multimodal literacies. For example, the Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing (2011) includes an entire section on "Composing in Multiple Environments" with tips for how teachers can help "writers develop as thoughtful, effective users of technology" and foster habits of mind, such as curiosity and creativity, which may require or be enhanced through digital literacies (p. 10).
Yet, less attention has been paid specifically to writing program administration and its relationship to digital or multimodal literacies, particularly in quantitative/qualitative research studies. The programs that, as writing teachers, we teach in—and the administrators of those programs—often have a significant influence on the assignments we can teach, the outcomes we are working towards, and the technologies to which we have access. As such, it is important to examine program administration since it can support or inhibit instructors' efforts. Looking at the relationship between digital literacy and writing program administration from a multiliteracies perspective, as this study does, encourages implementations of digital literacy that move beyond the use of tools (for example, showing instructors how to use a program's e-portfolio tool during teacher training) to more theoretical and practical considerations of how digital literacies converge with and change writing.
In considering the relationship between technology and administration, some scholars have advocated for administrators who are more technologically knowledgeable, who are willing to embrace complex forms of writing and think critically about the intersections of technology and administration (Day, 2009; Dobrin, 2011; Kimme Hea & Turnley, 2010; Leverenz, 2008). A few researchers have also begun to offer narratives of how their own programs have moved towards multimodal composing or technology integration (Adsanatham et al., 2013; Huot & Takayoshi, 2009). My research builds on these local narratives by describing trends across many programs. Drawing on survey data from 70 Writing Program Administrators (WPAs), I describe how digital literacy is being theorized and practiced in a broad range of writing programs across the U.S. Because this study offers a glimpse of values and practices across programs with a variety of resources and challenges, the study results—which demonstrate in what ways WPAs value and are integrating digital literacies—can help other WPAs argue for resources, get ideas, defend practices in their own programs, or ensure that students in their programs will receive similar experiences as others across the country. At the same time, while my study showed that many WPAs value digital literacies, it also revealed some areas for further consideration—elements WPAs who are committed to digital literacy may need to focus on more as they more forward with their approaches. As I discuss some areas in which WPA practices do not necessarily align with current values in the field of computers and composition, I offer strategies for adopting best practices in the field while facing some of the challenges with which WPAs contend on a daily basis, such as a lack of resources or stakeholder resistance.
This study does not only have implications for those involved in program administration, however. Teachers who are invested in digital literacy can also gain valuable knowledge from learning how WPAs are supporting teachers and from learning about examples of critical, rhetorical, and ethical instantiations of digital practices at other programs. They can, in turn, make arguments for different types of resources, assignment requirements, or training practices in their own programs or work with others in their program to ensure that implementations of digital literacies are more robust than mere functional approaches.
This webtext begins with a brief discussion of the theoretical framework I used for the study. Then, I share details about the survey population. The rest of the webtext presents my findings, characterizing WPAs’ motivations for integrating digital literacy into their programs, the challenges they face in their attempts, and the ways in which they are interpreting digital literacy. I end by discussing the implications of the survey data for writing program administration.
Yet, less attention has been paid specifically to writing program administration and its relationship to digital or multimodal literacies, particularly in quantitative/qualitative research studies. The programs that, as writing teachers, we teach in—and the administrators of those programs—often have a significant influence on the assignments we can teach, the outcomes we are working towards, and the technologies to which we have access. As such, it is important to examine program administration since it can support or inhibit instructors' efforts. Looking at the relationship between digital literacy and writing program administration from a multiliteracies perspective, as this study does, encourages implementations of digital literacy that move beyond the use of tools (for example, showing instructors how to use a program's e-portfolio tool during teacher training) to more theoretical and practical considerations of how digital literacies converge with and change writing.
In considering the relationship between technology and administration, some scholars have advocated for administrators who are more technologically knowledgeable, who are willing to embrace complex forms of writing and think critically about the intersections of technology and administration (Day, 2009; Dobrin, 2011; Kimme Hea & Turnley, 2010; Leverenz, 2008). A few researchers have also begun to offer narratives of how their own programs have moved towards multimodal composing or technology integration (Adsanatham et al., 2013; Huot & Takayoshi, 2009). My research builds on these local narratives by describing trends across many programs. Drawing on survey data from 70 Writing Program Administrators (WPAs), I describe how digital literacy is being theorized and practiced in a broad range of writing programs across the U.S. Because this study offers a glimpse of values and practices across programs with a variety of resources and challenges, the study results—which demonstrate in what ways WPAs value and are integrating digital literacies—can help other WPAs argue for resources, get ideas, defend practices in their own programs, or ensure that students in their programs will receive similar experiences as others across the country. At the same time, while my study showed that many WPAs value digital literacies, it also revealed some areas for further consideration—elements WPAs who are committed to digital literacy may need to focus on more as they more forward with their approaches. As I discuss some areas in which WPA practices do not necessarily align with current values in the field of computers and composition, I offer strategies for adopting best practices in the field while facing some of the challenges with which WPAs contend on a daily basis, such as a lack of resources or stakeholder resistance.
This study does not only have implications for those involved in program administration, however. Teachers who are invested in digital literacy can also gain valuable knowledge from learning how WPAs are supporting teachers and from learning about examples of critical, rhetorical, and ethical instantiations of digital practices at other programs. They can, in turn, make arguments for different types of resources, assignment requirements, or training practices in their own programs or work with others in their program to ensure that implementations of digital literacies are more robust than mere functional approaches.
This webtext begins with a brief discussion of the theoretical framework I used for the study. Then, I share details about the survey population. The rest of the webtext presents my findings, characterizing WPAs’ motivations for integrating digital literacy into their programs, the challenges they face in their attempts, and the ways in which they are interpreting digital literacy. I end by discussing the implications of the survey data for writing program administration.
Research Questions
Here, I share the research questions that guided my study:
- Are WPAs pursuing digital literacy programmatically, and how is it being instantiated across programs?
- What are the motivations underlying programmatic implementations of digital literacy in writing programs, and how are WPAs interpreting and representing digital literacy? To that end, what are the dominant discourses of technology underlying these representations?
- Are writing programs aligning with rhetorical, functional, critical, or ethical (multiliteracies) approaches to digital literacy, and how are these approaches manifested in programmatic discourses and practices?
- How can WPAs support sustainable approaches to digital literacy in their programs?