Abstract

Communication formats have been influenced by internet culture, and one communication format with staying power—and a heavy dose of humor—is the meme. Shifting over time, meme formats currently span a wide variety of screen captures from various types of media as well as individually produced art. Meme repositories frequently not only record memes but also allow people to make their own memes. Because of existing student familiarity with memes of various types and the process of making memes, memes serve as an interesting and useful mode for shifting communication formats, including using meme creation as a basis for short writing assignments. I explain why assigning meme creation with short writing assignments allows for assessing student comprehension of texts and concepts, describe my own meme creation assignment, and offer support for the claim that this type of assignment has improved student learning, engagement, and writing in my courses.