Self and Society: Using Video Narratives in an Undergraduate University English Course

Abstract

Self-presentation is a complex act involving both performance and reception. Therefore, it is incumbent to help students understand how their online identities and narratives can be constructed in ways that are productive, ethical, and socially responsible. This project will employ the use of video narratives in an undergraduate English course that fulfills the course aims of thinking creatively and critically, understanding and engaging in a variety of processes essential to producing well-formed texts (video), and communicating effectively in written and spoken English. Through this innovative use of English in narrating their life stories relating to how they see their roles in their local community, the city, and the world both presently and in the future, students will embark on learning not only about themselves in ways they might not have considered before, but also the important meaning-making strategies to convey and present their identities effectively.