Flight

PLAY Flight 

Click link above to play interactive story

Working on this multimodal piece pushed me to think about the topic in a much more embodied and experiential way than I typically would with traditional writing. Instead of just explaining ideas about fatphobia and internalized rules, I had to consider how those experiences actually feel in real time. How space, sound, and small social interactions shape someone’s perception of themselves. Using Twine, even in a simplified way, shifted my focus from “What do I want to say?” to “What do I want the audience to experience?” That shift made me more aware of how meaning is constructed not just through words, but through pacing, choice, silence, and even the absence of action. 

The process of combining modalities also made me more intentional about what I included and what I left out. For example, adding ambient sound (sound does not work once posted to the internet but I can show this off locally on my machine) or thinking about visual space or even the act of clicking to advance the story made me realize how much environment contributes to emotional response. It reinforced the idea that multimodal composition can communicate complexity in ways that traditional text alone sometimes cannot. At the same time, it forced me to be more selective because too many elements can overwhelm or distract, so each choice had to serve a purpose. I spent a much longer time on a different version of this project that is far more complex, but it does not give the same feeling to the reader. (Please note, this version is NOT completed).

In the classroom, these kinds of visual and multimodal practices have a lot of potential to amplify learning. They allow students to engage with content in ways that are more interactive, personal, and reflective of how they already consume and create media. Instead of passively analyzing a text, students can design experiences that require them to think critically about audience, perspective, and impact. This can also open up opportunities for civic engagement by encouraging students to explore real-world issues through storytelling and simulation, helping others understand experiences different from their own. This was really impactful for me during the creation of this project. I started this the second we got back from class four weeks ago.

At the same time, multimodal work creates a natural entry point for conversations about ethical and critical use of media. Students have to think about where images, sounds, or clips come from, how they are used, and what it means to represent someone else’s experience responsibly. Teaching fair use in this context becomes more meaningful because students are actively making decisions about appropriation, attribution, and transformation, rather than just learning rules in isolation.

Overall, this process helped me see multimodal composition not just as an “add-on,” but as a powerful way to deepen understanding, foster empathy, and engage students in more authentic and critical forms of learning.

I think I even learned some empathy for myself this week <3