Reenvisioning First Year Composition through Course Redesign and Technology

The course focuses on developing mechanical rigor and the underpinnings of critical thinking, both of which are important in developing knowledge for “transfer” into other courses and contexts; however, it suffers from the highest number DFW/fail rates on campus. All of the above issues–high demand and low access, challenging course material, and often exclusive subject matter–affect pass rates. Our traditional classroom structure is not effectively dealing with modern textual profusion (as characterized by online rhetoric and “virtual” social structures) and is increasingly unable to develop student agency and critical ability. The high failure rates in this course represent a lack of success in delivering desired outcomes as well as a missed opportunity in arguing for the indispensability of skill in rhetoric and analysis. Through the use of experiential pedagogies such as a video game developed solely for the ENG 110 course, we will seek to address issues of agency and inclusivity in the course.