Chapter 3: “Writing” Redefined Multimodally

1 According to the chapter, STEM “writing” has been redefined “multimodally.” The newly defined writing includes which of the following elements? Check all that apply.

some tools available digitally but not in print

greater importance given to print publication than to online journals

increasing importance and variety of visual elements in articles

the ability of digital publications to link directly to other sources

for the first time, drawings being used in STEM writing

video increasingly being used in place of written descriptions

2 Please select the true statements from the list below.

The “comment” function in STEM blogs and on websites cannot contribute to scientific debate.

Writers who are used to choosing their words and numbers carefully need to care as much about the visuals they choose.

The print paradigm in journal publication continues to have undue influence on digital publication of peer-reviewed journals.

The increasing number of digital journals has enabled greater variety in multimodal tools used in STEM articles.

Science journalism has become less graphic and colorful as publication costs have skyrocketed.

Words remain the core of STEM communication.

3 According to the chapter, which of the following factors are true of the diverse forms of STEM writing? Check all that apply.

Statistics are an important type of evidence in STEM-related writing of all kinds.

Numerical data and mathematical operations no longer play a vital role in the rhetorical effectiveness of writing intended for scientist audiences.

Numerical data presented in tables and charts are equally important in research articles and in STEM summaries in newspapers.

Charts, graphs, and tables should rely on written explanations to convey the relevance of the data.

Building reader expectations is an important purpose for the use of visual displays of numerical values.

4 Drawings and diagrams in STEM documents allow writers to ... (Check all that apply)

focus the reader’s attention on details of an object that photography doesn’t highlight

show theoretical conceptions

show relationships among images (photographic or drawn)

give verbal commentary within the diagram, for example in infographics

create cartoons and caricatures to heighten emotion in STEM journalism

5 According to the chapter, “writing” in twenty-first-century STEM may be more accurately named ________________, because readers more and more expect to see a variety of accessible presentation tools, especially visual, in digital publication.

Please enter the missing text in the space provided below.

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