A central question in literacy education is how to shift middle school writers’ revision attitudes from “fixing errors” to seeing revision as meaningful, creative work. This study by Katherine E. Batchelor reveals how pairing revision with transmediation—moving ideas across modes such as drawing, sculpture, drama, or digital media—helps students rethink what revision is for. Many began the unit believing revision meant checking for grammar or punctuation. Through multimodal writing, however, they developed richer meaning-making strategies and stronger confidence as writers.

Students engaged in a flash fiction unit where they first drafted stories and then used a new sign system—like clay modeling, drawing, or performance—to represent their ideas. This multimodal writing process allowed students to see their stories from new angles. For some, transmediation clarified their writing intentions; for others, it sparked symbolic thinking or inspired new perspectives. Students who initially described revision as tedious began identifying how transmediation encouraged deeper decisions, such as adding details, restructuring plots, or reimagining character motivations. The act of meaning-making moved from correcting errors to crafting ideas.

By the end of the study, most students reported more positive revision attitudes and a clearer sense of writing purpose. They described revision as creative, reflective, and even enjoyable because multimodal composing helped them “see” their work differently. This research highlights how transmediation broadens students’ expressive options and supports revision as a generative process—one centered on insight, not mechanics.

Faculty authors: Katherine E. Batchelor, Miami University
Keywords: revision attitudes, transmediation in writing, multimodal writing strategies, middle school writers, meaning-making in revision
Publication details: English Education, 50(4), 2018. “Middle School Writers’ Attitudes and Beliefs on Revision Paired with Transmediation during a Flash Fiction Unit.” https://doi.org/10.58680/ee201829733