When it comes to academic writing, document design and formatting tend to lose importance. Michael J. Klein & Kristi L. Shackelford’s “Beyond Black on White: Document Design and Formatting in the Writing Classroom” shows how crucial it is to have effective visual elements for communication. They stress the importance of paying attention to the layout, typography, and other design elements in order to create clarity and impact in texts. It is essential, when writing, to use strategies that do not just get across the message clearly but also grab the reader’s attention. The use of formatting and document design can make the documents more reader-friendly and help them stand out and not get lost in all the text.
Melanie Gagich’s “An Introduction to and Strategies for Multimodal Composing” introduces multimodal composing, which calls for the utilization of many forms of communication like, text, audio, images, and video. By applying different mediums to one’s work, writers can reach a wider range of learning styles and convey complex ideas successfully.
How the authors put emphasis on multimodal composing sheds light on how much diversity of expression is out there for writers to use. These articles encouraged me to experiment more with different mediums and incorporate multiple visual or auditory aspects into projects and assignments.
What I understood from these articles is that Klein, Shackelford, and Gaigich promote a hands-on approach to writing instruction. Their approach acknowledges the deep connection between words and visuals. They put emphasis on teaching students not just how to write captivating pieces but also how to make them visually appealing. With this approach, it strengthens communication skills while equipping students with digital literacy and design and design skills.
Leave a Reply