Chapter 8 Metatextual Dimensions of Multimodal Literacy Engagement

Identity, Community, and Activism in Digital Textual Ecosystems

In: Handbook of Research in Online Learning
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Amir Kalan
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Abstract

This chapter explores the metatextual dimensions of multimodal literacy engagement. As digital multimodality turns into a major component of everyday writing practices, alongside addressing questions about new textual formats, it is important to ask how text production is shaped by digital identity practices and virtual communities. To this end, this article focuses on how multimodal writing can help broaden our understanding of (a) text ownership, (b) learner identity, (c) community, and (d) sociopolitical involvement through writing. Drawing from qualitative research conducted in an online English grammar course at a major Canadian university, the article delves into the complex interplay of digital remixing, replication, and textual sharing, revealing their profound impact on students’ online identities and power relations in multimodal writing ecosystems.

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