Literacy Narrative

This project begins with a short personal narrative, which students will later adapt into a different medium—such as a podcast, video, or comic—to explore how genre, audience, and medium influence rhetorical choices. See details

Students are expected to select a medium and genre that align effectively with the story they wish to convey. Instructors should be prepared to engage in conversations about these choices, guiding students to make rhetorically sound decisions. Students are encouraged to draw upon their existing knowledge of digital platforms and social media tools, leveraging their familiarity to enhance the effectiveness of their multimodal composition. While instructors are not required to have expertise in the selected medium or genre, students must be able to clearly articulate the rationale behind their choices. Upon completing the adaptation, students will compose a reflective essay analyzing the revisions they made during the translation process, the rhetorical strategies employed to enhance audience engagement, and how these decisions were tailored to suit the intended audience. In the First-Year Composition curriculum of Northern Illinois University (NIU), the reflection component constitutes 50% of the final grade for each major writing project.

Literacy Narrative Learning Objectives

• Recognize and analyze audience expectations in personal storytelling
• Practice reflective metacognition regarding literacy development
• Integrate linguistic and cultural perspectives into narrative construction

For more see:

• Writing Goals and Processes
• Genre and Style Awareness

Genres & Formats: - Written narrative (1 page) - Multimedia version (audio/video)

Rubric

Literacy Narrative

Grading Criteria	Exceptional	Met	Not Met
Adaptation of Narrative	You have adapted your narrative to a new genre and have included new things or removed pieces of narrative to fit that genre.	You have adapted your narrative to a new genre.	The narrative is not adapted, or the adaptation includes only text.
Meeting Genre Goals	Your narrative fits well within the conventions of the genre as laid out in your reflection. The genre is recognizable.	Your narrative resembles the conventions of the genre as laid out in your reflection.	The narrative does not resemble the conventions of the genre as laid out in the reflection.
Use of Media	More than one non-written text mode is used in your narrative. Modes enhance the narrative.	At least one non-written text mode is used in your narrative. It helps to explain the narrative.	The narrative is written text alone or modes are included in ways that do not support the narrative.
Adapting to Your Audience	Your narrative is suitable and appealing for your chosen audience. Content has been adapted specifically to appeal to that audience.	Your narrative is suitable for your chosen audience.	The narrative does not suit the audience explained in the reflection.
Responding to Feedback	You have revised your narrative substantially and/or thoughtfully based on both your peers’ and your instructor’s feedback.	You have revised your narrative based on both your peers’ and your instructor’s feedback.	No revisions to the narrative have been made or only minor changes have been made that do not adequately respond to feedback.
Meeting Requirements	You have met or exceeded all the requirements for the narrative.	You have met all the requirements for the narrative.	One or more of the requirements for the narrative has not been met.

For a copy of the Literacy Narrative rubric, click here to download.

Reflection Piece

Grading Criteria	Exceptional	Met	Not Met
Reflecting on Your Genre Choices	You have clearly identified choices in your reflection that you made in your narrative that fit the genre you have chosen.	You have mentioned choices in your reflection related to genre conventions.	Genre conventions are not mentioned in the reflection.
Reflecting on Your Design Choices	You have clearly identified choices in your reflection that you made in your narrative that explain why you designed your project as you did.	You have mentioned choices in your reflection related to design choices.	Design conventions are not mentioned in the reflection.
Reflecting on Appealing to Your Audience	You have identified specific things in your reflection that you have done in your narrative to appeal to your audience or help them understand better.	You have mentioned things in your reflection that you have done in your remediation project to help your audience.	Audience appeal or adaptation is not mentioned in the reflection.
Reflecting on Your Rhetorical Purpose	You clearly explain your goal in making the narrative and explain how you met that goal.	You explain your goal in making your narrative.	The goal of the narrative is not mentioned in the reflection.
Responding to Feedback	You have revised your reflection substantially and/or thoughtfully based on both your peers’ and your instructor’s feedback.	You have revised your reflection based on both your peers’ and your instructor’s feedback.	No revisions to the reflection have been made or only minor changes have been made that do not adequately respond to feedback.
Meeting Requirements	You have met or exceeded all the requirements for the reflection.	You have met all the requirements for the reflection.	One or more of the requirements for the reflection has not been met.

For a copy of the Literacy Narrative Reflection rubric, click here to download

Assignment Focus

This section outlines various tasks an instructor may assign, each designed to build specific skills and insights that contribute to the development of the overall Literacy Narrative project.

Assignment Sequence Overview

1. Narrative Draft: Students describe a “newcomer” experience—moving to a new city, joining a new team, learning an unfamiliar cultural or digital practice, etc.
2. Audience/Medium Selection: Students choose a target audience (e.g., future students, peers, family, professionals) and a medium (podcast, comic, video, etc.).
3. Multimodal Remediation: Students recreate the narrative in a new form, making rhetorical decisions based on mode, purpose, and audience.
4. Reflection Essay: Students reflect on the changes made and how those changes shape meaning.

Assignment Focus

• Completion Draft

This draft shows students’ initial understanding of the core assignment requirements and may be revised and refined following instructor feedback to improve clarity, depth, and rhetorical effectiveness.

• Remediated Narrative

Drafts of the revised narrative are not required to rely solely on written language. Students are encouraged to incorporate a range of multimodal elements—such as images, audio, video, symbols, or other forms of media—to convey their story. Each project must include at least one mode beyond alphabetic text, demonstrating thoughtful integration of alternative forms of communication to enhance rhetorical impact.

• Reflection Piece

The reflection essay should be a minimum of 800 words and may be composed in a multimodal format, incorporating elements such as video, images, symbols, or audio to support or extend the written reflection. In the this reflection, students are expected to examine the rhetorical decisions they made during the remediation of their narrative—specifically, how they adapted the content, structure, and mode to better engage their intended audience. As this is the first of four major reflective assignments in the course, instructors are encouraged to provide guiding questions to help students critically focus their reflections on the changes enacted during the adaptation process and the reasoning behind those choices, particularly in relation to audience awareness and rhetorical effectiveness.

Weekly Structure

Week 1: Brainstorm literacy memories and peer-sharing

Overview: Introduction to the Course/Syllabus; Course Expectations; Myths about Writing; Introducing E-portfolio; WP0

Core & Alternative Readings

• Key Source
  • Watch: 10 Myths about Writing – This video introduces common misconceptions about writing and helps students reframe their expectations for the course.

• Alternative Source
  • Watch:
    • Debunking Writing Myths – An alternative video that explores similar misconceptions in student-friendly language.
  • Read
    • Myths about Writing
    • Common Myths about "Good" Writing
    • Myths About Writing: Common Misconceptions Debunked

• Key Sources on Reflection
  • Watch: Why Reflection? – Introduces the purpose and value of reflection in writing.
  • Read: The Digital World: Building on What You Already Know to Respond Critically – Includes key concepts such as critical response, rhetorical thinking, and an annotated student sample.

• Alternative Sources on Reflection & Critical Thinking
  • Watch:
    • Five Tips to Improve Critical Thinking
    • What is Critical Thinking?
    • How to think critically
  • Read:
    • Introduction: Critical Thinking, Reading, & Writing
    • Reflecting and Improving

• Suggested Materials on Prewriting
  • Read: 12 Popular Prewriting Strategies To Improve Your Writing
  • Watch: Prewriting Strategies

Week 2: Draft and workshopping in class

Overview: Introducing the First Writing Project; Introduce Remediation and the Process; Analyze a Model Narrative; Introducing Genre.

Core & Alternative Readings:

• Key Source
  • Read: On Genre

This article emphasizes that genres are socially shaped responses to recurring situations. It provides them with the vocabulary to discuss genre purposefully in their reflections.

• Alternative Sources

If you want to teach rhetorical strategies separately in your class, here are some materials that you can use.

• • Watch:
    • The Rhetorical Situation
  • Read
    • Rhetorical Situation: Definition, Examples & FAQs
    • Glance at Genre: The Literacy Narrative
• Key Source
  • Read: Remediation

This reading outlines both challenges and opportunities of multimodal composition. It helps students understand that they make new rhetorical choices based on medium, audience, and purpose.

• Alternative Sources
  • Watch
    • College Composition and Remediation
    • Introduction to Multimodal Communication
  • Read
    • Multimodal Communication Writing in a Technological Society
    • What is Multimodality?
    • Multimodal Communication Writng in Five Modes

Week 3: Revise with emphasis on clarity and audience

Overview: Remediation, Proposal, Writing Project Draft, Reflection Practices, Completion Draft Due Date.  

Core & Alternative Readings:

• Key Resources
  • Watch:
    • Writing Transfer and Reflection

This short video introduces students to the connection between reflection and transfer.

• Alternative Sources
  • Read
    • Reflecting and Improving
    • The Importance of Reflection
    • What is Self-reflection & Why Does it Matter?

Week 4: Reflective statement and ePortfolio posting

Overview: Introducing Reflection Rubrics; Practice on effective Peer Revision; Practice Peer Revision on Students’ Projects

• Suggested Material on Peer Revision

Some videos and texts might be useful for your class depending on your needs.

• Watch
  • Good Practices for Peer Revision
• Read
  • Guidelines for Students - Peer Review
  • Effective Peer Review Strategies
  • Teaching Students to Evaluate Each Other
  • Effective Peer Strategies