Investigating Multiliteracy Center Theory and Practice
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WRITING CENTERS AS LITERACY SPONSORS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: INVESTIGATING MULTILITERACY CENTER THEORY AND PRACTICE Jeffrey S.J. Kirchoff A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2013 Committee: Dr. Kris Blair, Advisor Dr. Charles Coletta Graduate Faculty Representative Dr. Gary Heba Dr. Lee Nickoson ii ABSTRACT Dr. Kristine Blair, Advisor This dissertation examines how the proliferation of multimodal composition in college curricula across the nation affects Writing Center theory and practice. The project acknowledges that universities are beginning to recognize and adapt definitions of literacy that argue for 21st century individuals to be able to adapt, critique, and ultimately create a variety of media (see New London Group, 1996; NCTE, 2008; and Kress, 2003 among others). I connect this research to Writing Center theory and practice by demonstrating that historically, Writing Centers have served as literacy sponsors in the university. As such, I advocate what is commonly referred to as a Multiliteracy Center model (see Trimbur, 2000 and Sheridan and Inman 2010). However, while there is research supporting the Multiliteracy model, there are a dearth of narratives that examine Multiliteracy Center theory and practice; while Writing Centers typically chronicle shifts in Writing Center theory practice in great detail, there is currently not much written on the intersections between writing center theory and practice and multimodal composition. This project works towards filling this gap. As such, I provide a case study of Eastern Kentucky University and their Noel Studio for Academic Creativity. Using Kathy Charmaz's grounded theory, I weave together interviews, consultation observations, survey responses, and existing theory and practice to better understand how working with multimodal composers can alternately enrich and complicate writing center theory and practice. iii Dedicated to my wife, Stephanie A. Kirchoff iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to my committee members for their support, encouragement, feedback, and of course, their time. I would like to particularly thank Dr. Blair for her willingness to meet with me, her guidance throughout this entire project, and her invaluable, thoughtful ideas. I appreciate it all. A special thanks to Eastern Kentucky University and the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity for their willingness to work with me. They reached out to me, welcomed me with open arms, and made me a part of their community for a week. I am grateful for their collegiality and hospitality. In particular, I would like to thank Leslie Valley, who first offered the use of the Noel Studio for this study, and Dr. Shawn Apostel, who graciously responded to my numerous emails throughout the year. Lastly, I would like to thank my wife, Stephanie. Her unwavering support, tolerance, and friendship was—and is—absolutely invaluable. My gratitude for her countless sacrifices cannot be put into words. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. A CASE FOR MULTILITERACY CENTERS ............................................. 1 ............Writing Centers as Literacy Sponsors........................................................................ 3 ............Changing Conceptions of Literacy ............................................................................ 7 ............Writing Centers' Response to Changing Conceptions of Literacy ............................ 9 ............Research Questions .................................................................................................... 14 ............Methods and Methodology ........................................................................................ 16 ............ Interviewing ................................................................................................... 17 ............ Observation .................................................................................................... 17 ............ Artifact/Textual Analysis ............................................................................... 18 ............ Feminist Influence on Research Methodology .............................................. 18 ............ Methodology .................................................................................................. 19 ............Dissertation Summary ................................................................................................ 21 CHAPTER II. TECHNOLOGY'S AFFECT ON WRITING CENTER THEORY AND PRACTICE: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE ....................................................................... 24 Computers as Manager .............................................................................................. 25 Computers as Consultant ........................................................................................... 29 Computers as Means of Delivering Consultations..................................................... 35 Multiliteracy Centers ................................................................................................. 42 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 46 CHAPTER III. METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES ..................................................... 49 Arriving at and Focusing Research Questions ........................................................... 49 vi A Closer Look at EKU and the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity ...................... 57 Data and Artifact Acquisition .................................................................................... 62 Interviews ....................................................................................................... 62 Observations .................................................................................................. 63 Artifact Analysis ............................................................................................ 64 Published Scholarship .................................................................................... 64 Data Analysis: Grounded Theory and Artifact Analysis ........................................... 65 Grounded Theory ........................................................................................... 65 Artifact Analysis ............................................................................................ 70 Reciprocity ..................................................................................................... 71 Biases and Limitations ............................................................................................... 71 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 73 CHAPTER IV. THE CASE STUDY .................................................................................... 75 A Tour of the Noel Studio ......................................................................................... 75 Functional Literacy .................................................................................................... 78 Training ............................................................................................................ 91 Consultation A: Dr. Shawn Apostel and Haley ............................................. 99 Consultation B: Pam Golden and Emily, Emily, and Eric ............................. 104 Conclusions .................................................................................................... 108 Representation of the Center ...................................................................................... 112 Chapter Conclusions .................................................................................................. 118 CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND FUTURE STUDIES................ 121 Conclusions and Implications .................................................................................... 121 vii Future Studies ............................................................................................................ 124 Sustainability.................................................................................................. 124 Space ............................................................................................................ 127 Online Multiliteracy Centers .......................................................................... 131 Expanding Multimodal Composition ............................................................. 134 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 136 WORKS CITED .................................................................................................................... 139 APPENDIX A. SURVEY QUESTIONS .............................................................................. 149 APPENDIX B. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ........................................................................ 152 APPENDIX C. SAMPLE MEMO ........................................................................................ 154 APPENDIX D. SAMPLE ANALYSIS ................................................................................ 155 APPENDIX E. SKETCH OF THE NOEL STUDIO (FIRST FLOOR) ............................... 157 APPENDIX F. FUNCTIONAL, RHETORICAL, AND CRITICAL LITERACY IN THE NOEL STUDIO FOR ACADEMIC CREATIVITY: A SUMMARY .............................................