monomodal-writing
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- PaperTESOL Quarterly9 Jul 2026
Exploring Digital Multimodal Ensembles and Monomodal Expository Essays: From Author Performance to Reader Perspectives
YouJin Kim, Diane Belcher, Carter Peyton
A study compared digital multimodal composing (DMC) and monomodal essay writing among 50 Korean EFL students, finding similar quality in both conditions. While reader perception of new knowledge did not differ significantly, DMC led to more new informational knowledge units gained by readers.
Original abstract
Although many teacher/researchers have expressed enthusiasm about the benefits of digital multimodal literacies, empirical evidence of the value of engagement with multimodal ensembles for L2 students as authors and readers is limited. This study compared the quality of digital multimodal composing (DMC) and monomodal writing and explored the impact of both on readers' new knowledge building. Fifty Korean university EFL students were assigned to two groups: DMC and monomodal writing. Both groups completed causal analyses and then reviewed their classmates' work, reporting on what they, as reader‐viewers, learned about the composers' topics, in addition to responding to a perception survey. Thus, students had the opportunity to be both producers and consumers of digital multimodal or monomodal texts depending on their group. Students' DMC and monomodal compositions were scored using a multitrait rubric. Survey responses were analyzed for perceptions of new knowledge gained, whereas comments on fellow students' projects were analyzed for the amount of new informational and issue‐oriented knowledge gained as DMC and monomodal essay readers. The findings indicated that the quality of DMC and monomodal writing conditions was similar. With respect to reader perspectives, there was also no significant difference in the perception of new knowledge gained and reports of new issue awareness for the two conditions; however, DMC outperformed monomodal writing regarding reader‐reported new informational knowledge units gained. The findings suggest that although the student‐participants did not perceive DMC as having an advantage over monomodal composing for conveying new information and issue awareness, the students did appear to be able to produce and consume (as reader‐viewers) multimodal ensembles in such a way that new knowledge, measured in information knowledge units, became more salient for them in DMC than in traditional monomodal texts.