Seminar and Studio in First Year Writing

University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Fall 2025

Conducted a required English course in a studio setting, designed to help international students develop their portfolios. Taught fundamentals and applications of production practices such as collage, design, and basic filming techniques.

This course introduces students to writing beyond the page — treating communication as an interactive, visual, and networked practice.
Rather than focusing solely on traditional essays, students compose using text, image, sound, interface, and digital platforms, learning how to design messages that resonate across professional, creative, and cultural contexts.

Class Slides

Unique Dimension

Open to all majors — from business and engineering to music, biology, and liberal arts — this course is designed as an inclusive, low-barrier space where students with any level of digital experience can succeed. Assignments encourage both professional growth and personal expression, allowing students to explore issues such as identity, ethics, accessibility, health, and contemporary culture through digital media.

Studio-Based Approach

The classroom operates as an active, creative workspace, blending:

Foundational Mini-Lectures & Demonstrations – Key concepts and technical tools
Hands-On Studio Time – Students apply techniques directly to their own projects
Critiques & Mentorship – Iterative feedback through peer review and one-on-one support
Touchpoint Tasks – Low-stakes weekly exercises that scaffold toward major projects

Students engage as makers rather than passive consumers, developing critical digital literacy through practice.

Student Works

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Design and evaluate multimodal texts for diverse real-world audiences
Apply accessibility standards, ethical remixing, and digital citizenship principles
Use information architecture and usability testing to refine digital projects
Curate a professional online portfolio that reflects both technical skill and authentic voice

Final Deliverable

Each student publishes a public-facing digital portfolio, demonstrating the ability to communicate ideas strategically, ethically, and creatively across media.

Student Works

About Me Webpage Design

A project-based module where students design and build a personal About Me webpage that communicates their identity through visual and verbal language.

Purpose

To help students understand how storytelling can be expressed visually through typography, layout, and brand identity rather than words alone.

Key Learning Outcomes

Understanding the role of visual identity in web design (color, typography, spacing, and consistency).
Learning how basic color theory influences emotion and communication.
Exploring typographic characteristics and how font choices convey personality.
Applying layout principles such as spacing, hierarchy, and grid structure for readability.
Translating one’s personal narrative into a visual format rather than a simple biography.

Student Works

Curation & Portfolio Structure

A module focused on how to present creative work strategically through a curated portfolio rather than a random collection of projects.

Purpose

To shift students’ mindset from “showing everything” to designing a narrative through selection, order, and framing.

Key Learning Outcomes

Understanding what to include vs. what to leave out when showcasing work.
Learning how project order and grouping affect audience perception.
Applying consistent layout rules across multiple pages (image ratio, margins, negative space).
Designing thumbnail and cover structures to create rhythm and cohesion.
Developing micro-branding through logos, type systems, and color palettes across the entire portfolio.