Summary

“OWI on the Go” by Rochelle Rodrigo

OWI principles support the idea that teachers should design courses that can be accessed through mobile devices. Research has shown that many students own smart phones and other mobile devices and that they are using these devices for their academic studies. Students who use mobile devices for academics are more likely to be minority students. The digital divide still exists at the university and college level.  Thus, in the name of OWI’s most important principle, accessibility, post-secondary institutions should consider designing OWI’s that can be used on mobile devices. Mobile devices emphasize the communicative and rhetorical aspects of technology, thus it makes sense to create writing courses that can be accessed through smaller mobile devices.

In order to build courses that can be accessed through mobile devices, faculty, administrators, IT and companies that CMS and LMSs should collaborate. Teachers should create content that can be downloaded in bite-sized chunks and keep in account other constraints. Texts should be in shorter paragraphs. Faculty and institutions should know what kinds technology their students are using in the classroom and if students are using a mobile device as their primary computer. Institutions should also be explicit about what kind of access to technology is expected in order to complete a course. There should be professional development for faculty that can help them use the technology available to create courses that are more accessible. Teachers should also help students learn the technology through short low-stakes assignments and reflection assignments.

“Improving Literacies through Digital Gaming Literacies: Facebook Gaming in the Composition Classroom” by Lindsay Sabatino

Gaming uses many of the skills that composition does, such as critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and collaboration. The article argues that teachers can use gaming to teach research, analysis, and technical skills. When collaborating in a game, students must communicate with an audience by using the appropriate rhetoric to make an argument. Gaming can help students build digital literacy- many students already game and have access to games on the internet. Many students also enjoy it, so it would build a level of engagement for students.

The article offers practical assignments for students to write as they play Mafia Wars. The game offers a space of engagement and collaboration, and it doesn’t take a long time to play. The assignments include reflections on player choices and the way they communicate,and an analysis on the game and the values it transmits.

Discussion:

These articles are about using resources that are already available in order to get more students interested in engaging with the courses. Building OWCs that can be accessed through mobile devices is necessary because some students may use mobile devices as their primary resource. Gaming is a good way to build digital literacy because many students are familiar with games and enjoy gaming.

I found the argument in “OWIs on the Go” more convincing than the one in “ “Improving Literacies through Digital Gaming Literacies: Facebook Gaming in the Composition Classroom.” OWIs on the go is more about a way to approach technology- specifically mobile technology- and how build support for it in the university. I think the focus on a specific game made me less convinced by the argument. Though it is clear that the reflection, analysis, and other assignments could be helpful in a writing course. It would be a good idea to have students reflect on their own practices in their daily lives to show that they use rhetoric every day. I wonder how much time is consumed learning this specific technology. I did play Mafia Wars after reading this article and it was an easy game to learn, but it didn’t seem engaging. I found it very boring. I only played it for a short amount of time, but it  wasn’t interested in playing more because it seemed like it was very repetitive, with a lot of button pressing with no real motivation to continue doing so. The game was also very slow on my computer that is usually very fast. It may be personal. I prefer games with a narrative- even if they are a simplistic, one-dimensional narrative. Casual games on mobile devices and on Facebook tend to be based on addictiveness. You must sign in at least once a day or you will be punished by the game and perhaps lose items and gold. Of course, this is something that could provide useful discussion in class about the ethics of programming, and how gaming can encourage certain addictions and what it says about our overall society. I don’t see myself using Facebook games to teach writing, however. Perhaps there are other games or technologies that students can engage with and reflect on, so perhaps the assignments offered Sabatino’s article are useful.

Works Cited

Rodrigo, Rochelle. OWI On the Go. N.d. Unpublished chapter.

Sabatino, Lindsay. "Improving Writing Literacies Through Digital Gaming Literacies: Facebook Gaming In The Composition Classroom." Computers & Composition 32.(2014): 41-53. Education Research Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.