Mary Martha Darden

Mullins Library Assignment

Part A.
Keyword: English Education
Part B.

Name of the U of A Class: COMM 2813: Introduction to Electronic Media

Instructor: Dr. Meredith Neville-Shepard
Keyword: History of Mass Media
Part C/ Dissertation One.
Author: Cara Elizabeth Stepanian
Name of theses: Digital Writing Integration in the English Language Arts Classroom
Year of theses: 2017
Institution: Fordham University
Purpose of the study: “This case study examined how two middle school level English language
arts teachers used digital writing in their classrooms, their personal understandings and
conceptualizations of digital writing and how the substitution, augmentation, modification, and
redefinition (SAMR) model of digital integration might be applied to their teaching practices.”
Conclusion: “The main findings, which include the fact that teachers need clear and recognizable
goals and that SAMR does not work alone as a productive framework for thinking about digital
integration, pave the way for future research that can look deeper into how teachers can truly
create a classroom curriculum with integrated digital writing. This study brings to light that
digital integration in a classroom is not a linear process, but ultimately requires a deep
understanding of what digital means to the teacher, to the students, within the curriculum and in
relation to the larger community.”
Importance: This study is important to the field of English education because it is bringing new
and innovative technology into learning. This study sheds a light on how education is shifting
and moving towards a new direction.
If I were conducting a similar study on digital writing in an English language arts classroom, I
would change who the study is about. The current study looks how teachers could integrate
technology into learning but I would rather conduct the study on how successful a student could
be using technology versus no technology. The current education system is not a question of if
teachers should be using technology, it’s now a question of how successful are students now that
they have access to technology in a learning environment.
Part C/ These Two:
Professor: Dr. Meredith Neville-Shepard. I am currently in her COMM 2813 Introduction to
Electronic Media class.
Year of dissertation: 2014
Name of dissertation: FIRE, SACRIFICE, AND SOCIAL CHANGE: THE RHETORIC OF
SELF IMMOLATION.
Institution: University of Kansas
Conclusion: “In conclusion, I have explored the media’s influence in constructing stories about
self immolations and self-immolators. These rhetorical narratives have helped shape the public’s
understanding and opinions of self-immolation as a protest form. Ultimately, however, these
opinions are of little value to those suffering injustice if people who have the means to do so do
not act. Particularly, we must not allow the ashes of Mohamed Bouazizi or those of sacrificed
Tibetans to turn to dust.”