Multimedia Writing Projects for the First-Year Writing Classroom

Abstract

The assignments in this collection were designed for ENGL 1005AB: College Writing I and II at California State University, Los Angeles. ENGL 1005AB is a year-long “stretch” composition course. Faculty teaching these courses have access to common syllabi and assignments informed by scholarship on equity-focused writing instruction and assessment (e.g.: Baca, Hinojosa, and Wolff Murphy 2019; Canagarajah 2011; Ehrenworth and Vinton 2005; Frost, Kiernan, and Blum Malley 2020; Horner, Lu, Jones Royster, and Trimbur 2011; Inoue 2015; Young, Barrett, Young-Rivera, and Lovejoy 2014). In both ENGL 1005A and 1005B, three units focusing on narrative writing, persuasive writing, and synthesis writing promote more complex writing proficiencies as students work through the stretch pathway. Multimedia writing projects attached to each unit provide opportunities for students to gain experience composing in several different writing genres and modalities and to explore topics they feel personally invested in. This collection includes assignment guidelines for various projects that can be integrated into a first-year writing course in order to support the development of reading, writing, and research abilities and formalize a curricular focus on issues of access, equity, and inclusion.