Pedagogy Proceedings from the College English Association’s 2017 Conference - Islands - No Teacher is an Island - Strategies for Enacting Multimodal Pedagogies

Oct 15, 2026

Paper from the College English Association’s 2017 Conference, Islands, arguing that teachers must overcome professional isolation when designing instruction for modern, multimodal literacies. The author explains how limited training in visual composition and computer-based modes creates discomfort and doubt, then describes learning processes and classroom strategies. Institutional context highlights Iowa State’s WOVE curriculum (Written, Oral, Visual, Electronic) and ePortfolio-based projects that merge communicative practices into transferable frameworks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Islands: No Teacher is an Island

Multimodal teaching challenges and professional isolation

Background and institutional context (WOVE, Iowa State)

ePortfolios and integrated communicative practices

Redefining writing through multimodal technologies

Pedagogy Proceedings from the College English Association’s 2017 Conference: Islands No Teacher is an Island: Strategies for Enacting Multimodal Pedagogies Bremen Vance Iowa State University My paper, in keeping with the theme of the College English Association’s 2017 conference, is focused on how, as teachers, we need to build bridges, explore new territory, and avoid professional isolation—especially in regard to modern, multimodal literacies, a source of unending questions and frustrations for me, and I don’t think I am alone. So, I will tell you a little bit about me to get us started: I have been teaching first-year composition for the past six years, mostly as a graduate student but also as an adjunct for a while. I have a background in literature, which still holds a special place in my heart, and which led me to where I am. I assumed that my training in literary studies is what prepared me to teach composition, which is somewhat true. But as a composition teacher, a communication teacher, I have come to understand how my own background (training) has left me unprepared to teach some of the skills that scholars are suggesting I should. In 2016, I presented at the CEA conference in Denver, where I spoke about one of the difficulties facing teachers that want to teach multimodal curricula. I explained that our own inexperience with skills and technologies associated with multimodality place us in an uncomfortable position, a position that requires us to rethink the work we are doing and whether we are the people to do it. Many of us have never been trained in visual composition or in computer languages. So, when we try to bring these into the classroom, we are certain to face high levels of discomfort—and doubt. But I am convinced that literacy means more than traditional text and our teaching practices and professional development must account for a much broader definition of writing instruction. Over the past year, I have spent time learning skills, theories, and technologies in an attempt to overcome that discomfort and I want to tell you about that and suggest a few strategies that may be helpful. Where I am Coming From To explain what I have been learning and why I want to first describe my institutional context. You may come from an institution that has different expectations and resources, and I want to carefully explain why I focused on the skills I have been working on. At Iowa State University, our composition courses use what we refer to as a WOVE curriculum, which stands for Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic communication. Having this curriculum challenges us to create assignments that facilitate a deep understanding of communication that can be transferred between not only communicative tasks but also communicative modes. We ask students to write a research paper and translate that into a brochure or poster, we have students rhetorically analyze visual arguments and websites, we spend more time discussing rhetorical choices made in presenting and tying that to writing. We attempt to encourage critical engagement with communicative acts, no matter what form they take. A key development for us is our implementation of ePortfolios. ePortfolios are particularly exciting to me, as they provide spaces for students to develop and showcase a range of communicative practices. The ISUComm ePortfolio platform has been developed, implemented, and sustained over the last 5 years or so at Iowa State (Lutz, O’Connell, et al.; Lutz, Blakely, et al.) . There are other institutions with similar initiatives, and we are seeing what are effectively student-run educational websites. The WOVE curricula and ePortfolios are ways of teaching a broad set of communication practices, but by bringing these practices and skills together in one space we are highlighting the similarities between them. Yes, making distinctions between oral and visual communication can be useful, but bringing them into a single compositio

FAQs

What problem does the author describe about teaching multimodal curricula?

The author explains that many teachers lack training in visual composition or computer languages, leading to discomfort and doubt when bringing multimodal work into the classroom.

How does the Iowa State WOVE curriculum support multimodal communication goals?

WOVE uses Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic communication to shape assignments that transfer understanding across tasks and modes, including research-to-brochure/poster translation and analysis of visual arguments and websites.

Why are ePortfolios important in the author’s approach?

ePortfolios give students spaces to develop and showcase varied communicative practices, and the combined environment highlights similarities across written, oral, visual, and electronic forms.

Oct 15, 2026

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