ABSTRACT
'Assignments as controversies' explores digital literacy practices in the classroom experience of college students. Every day, and in classrooms everywhere, teachers give many kinds of assignment tasks to students. Assignments, as curricula genres, have been the subject of research in the field of rhetoric and composition, and writing across the curriculum (WAC). WAC researcher Dan Melzer's analysis of the rhetorical features of 2,100 writing assignments across 400 undergraduate courses showed that enhanced writing skills through college programs can lead to better overall student performance in assignments. Where digital technology in the classroom has expanded not only learning spaces but also the nature of learning itself, genre becomes relevant once again. As new literacies emerge from old, information, knowledge and meaning-making become redefined in the digital age, especially for what they contribute to the efficacy of learning and teaching. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
