College and University Beyond engagement: Multimodal responses to students' reading experiences more

Tue, Aug 8, 10:00-10:35 Asia/Tokyo

Studies found that multimodal texts are more attractive to students and have been helpful in engaging reluctant readers (Serafini, 2012; Thompson & McIlnay, 2019). For regular texts to receive similar reactions from less engaged readers, multimodal responses as during- or post-reading activities may need to be introduced. This presentation reports the experience of a group of English department students in adapting some self-made reading materials like poems and short stories produced by other students into other modes such as short movies, audiobooks, and video books. The adaptation process took place in four months under a project called EDAP ( English Department Adaptation Project). Data was collected using ethnographic data collection methods such as observation, in-depth interviews, and students' self-reflection on reading and adapting the texts. The multidimensionality of their experiences was reflected in the level of engagement and in the depth of their comprehension of the reading materials.