ARTiculation: Engagement in Composition Courses Through Expressive Arts

Abstract

Composition courses are some of the most commonly required courses for undergraduate students, but students are often not engaged when completing assignments. Although scholarship supports alternative forms of composition such as arts-based methods, Expressive Arts has yet to be utilized as a curricular method. This article examines literature surrounding art-making with composition and showcases curricular methods used during a semester. The instructor’s practitioner action research assesses the curriculum’s success through narrative analysis of students; data. The study’s results support art-making as a curricular tool that promotes engagement in the forms of increased growth mindset, individualized active learning, and intrinsic motivation.