Research Statement
of Wesley Fryer, Ph.D.

Updated 25 October 2021

A video version (6 min, 40 sec) of this research statement is available on YouTube. Use this shortened link (wfryer.me/research) or this QR code to the right to access it.

I have research interests in the areas of multimedia production, the use of multimedia projects for assessment of student learning, the development of media literacy skills for effective civic engagement, and the development of computational thinking skills across the curriculum and specifically within the context of multidisciplinary projects. I also have a strong research interest in digital storytelling, digital oral history, and the use of mobile phones for transmedia storytelling.

Building on the foundation of my doctoral dissertation on the impact of phonecasting by students to summarize lectures and deepen learning, I am interested in both the effective classroom practices of teachers as well as the impact of those practices in using multimedia projects for the assessment of student knowledge and skills. In addition to writing a book about the 12 different multimedia projects included on my website project, “Show With Media: What Do You Want to Create Today?) (showwithmedia.com), I want to pursue a research agenda which highlights the best practices and impacts of classroom teachers working with students of varying ages and developmental levels who create multimedia artifacts as part of larger digital portfolios to represent what they both know and can do, showing growth and development over time.

I want to research and write articles as well as a book to support my lesson planning framework, “Design, Create and Share” (designcreateshare.com) which utilizes the creation of multimedia projects as well as sharing of those projects both inside and outside the classroom for assessment and student learning.

Additionally, I want to research, write articles, and write a book focused on the themes of the “Conspiracies and Culture Wars” media literacy project (medialiteracy.wesfryer.com/concw) which I started in the summer of 2020 with my Chicago colleague, Brian Turnbaugh. (@wegotwits) This project focuses on the development of media literacy and web literacy skills, including the “SIFT” web literacy framework, to support critical thinking, literacy, and effective civic participation. I want to write and publish articles about my multi-lesson unit, “Fruit Loop Conspiracy Theories and Web Literacy” (mdtech.casady.org/lessons/conspiracy-theories) and extend that curriculum into high schools and colleges, perhaps joining forces with the Digital Polarization Project.

The past two summers, I have served (virtually because of COVID) on the faculty of the Summer Institute in Digital Literacy (www.digiuri.com). I want to continue working with colleagues from the institute on research and projects relating to media and digital literacy, including the “Conspiracies and Culture Wars” media literacy project. More information about this work is available in my summer 2020 MountainMoot Keynote, “Conspiracies & Culture Wars: Digital Literacy NOW!” That video is also linked on my teaching portfolio: wesfryer.com/portfolio.