fresh look at writing instruction: digital multigenre projects in the secondary English language arts classroom.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20018701

Multigenre writing projects originated as a high-interest alternative to traditional essays. The multigenre essay is generally produced in print form. Electronic portfolios, or e-portfolios, have been used in education as an engaging means by which to encourage digital literacy and demonstrate student learning. They evolved from the traditional print portfolio assessment format to incorporate digital tools into the classroom environment. PowerPoint and Prezi are also promising digital tools that can be used to showcase student work. The purpose of this research project is to combine the multigenre research project with a digital format and examine the effectiveness of the multigenre project in its new format as it pertains to student learning, student engagement, and student performance. The primary question guiding this study is: What are the effects of implementing digital multi-genre writing projects into the ELA curriculum at Sunnydale High School? The study will also investigate the effects of the project on student learning and achievement, student interest and engagement, and student-centered pedagogy. The theoretical frameworks for this study are narratology, which is based in language arts critical theory, and expectancy-value achievement theory, which is based in motivational theory. The study examines students' reactions to and experiences with both a traditional research-based essay and the experimental digital multigenre project in order to form comparisons between the two writing assignments.