CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND PEDAGOGY article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Assessment, Testing and Applied Measurement
More Than Words: A Multimodal Analysis Portfolio for the Digital Era
College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Abstract
This article presents a redesigned Multimodal Analysis Portfolio that replaces a traditional critique essay in an academic writing course at a United Arab Emirates (UAE) university. The assignment responds to challenges posed by generative AI and emphasizes process, student voice, and digital literacy. Multilingual first-year students compose across modes, including video, text, images, and collaborative digital platforms, to analyze an article, connect ideas to personal and real-world examples, and synthesize their insights in a final written response. Classroom observations and submitted work indicate greater engagement, stronger ownership of ideas, and more authentic communication than in text-only tasks. The article concludes with practical implications and guidance for adapting the multimodal portfolio in diverse educational contexts. This design-focused article is intended as a replicable pedagogical model for writing instructors and curriculum designers seeking resilient assessment practices in AI-influenced learning environments.
Summary
Keywords
Academic writing, authentic learning, Digital Literacy, engagement, GenAI, multimodal composition, studentvoice
Received
30 December 2025
Accepted
17 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 El-Soussi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Amira El-Soussi
Disclaimer
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