A cornucopia of resources that aim to build format literacy across academia

This guidebook prompts instructors and students to examine how different formats shape meaning. Through concrete examples--video narratives, choreographed dance, quilted data visualizations--it illustrates possibilities for communication in varied contexts. With teaching tools, expert-authored lesson plans, curated resources and student stories, the book helps instructors design coursework that offers students options for exploring and expressing ideas creatively. It also serves as a practical tool for students who may not have the time, access or resources to pursue formal art and design training by providing structured support for working across formats. Students learn when and why to select formats and how to work within each form's unique affordances and constraints. Where format experimentation often happens in silos, this book fosters shared language and transparent expectations that build format literacy throughout academia--from classrooms to writing centers and into students' creative and professional work.