Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 35, 2025  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr  47  Book Review  Review of Angela Laflen  s Critical Data Storytelling in the Composition Classroom Kathy Block  University of Manitoba    Increasingly,  we  understand  and  navigate  the  world  via  dataCied  ways  of  knowing.  Online  activities  are  transformed  into  big  data,  which  is  presented  back  to  us  in  stories  and  arguments. In this process, data shapes our thinking. This is the starting point for Angela  LaClen (2025) in her book Critical Data Storytelling in the Composition Classroom (Utah State  University  Press).  Through  our  online  activities,  we  are  building  a  stock  of    previously  unimaginable quantities of data   (p. 187) that is tracked and analyzed, that is used to tell  stories  and  build  arguments,  and  that  stokes  AI.  LaClen  contends  that  the  use  of  data,  especially numerical data presented in visual formats, is a powerful form of multimodality  and that the development of critical data literacy skills should be a priority for instructors in  multimodal writing classes.  In Critical Data Storytelling, LaClen  s concern, then, is not whether professors should allow  students to use generative AI in the writing process (a frequent focus of discussion) but on  the  development  of  students    critical  data  literacy  skills,  given  the  ubiquity  of  data  and  dataCied  arguments.  Her  central  point  is  that  writing  instructors  should  prioritize  critical  data literacy, creating a bridge between academic skills and the everyday skills students need  to move critically through dataCied environments. To support instructors who are beginning  the journey, she provides sample writing assignments throughout the book and a chapter  focused  on  assessment.  For  me  (a  writing  instructor  grounded  in  traditional  academic  literacies), LaClen  s book provides a good stretch,  showing how to centre the data literacy  skills  that  instructors  and  students  urgently  need  in  a  world  permeated  with  mis-  and  disinformation.    Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 35, 2025  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr  48  LaClen describes why she began to include data literacy in her multimodal composition  classes,  a  focus  which  she  came  to  not  because  it  was  part  of  her  training  as  a  writing  instructor  but  because  she  saw  a  gap.  Her  exploration  started  in  her  Cirst-year  and  professional  writing  courses  when  she  replaced  one  of  the  writing  assignments  with  an  infographic  assignment.  As  she  assessed  her  students    projects,  she  understood  that  her  students did not have the range of data literacy skills required for the task. LaClen writes,   I  was troubled by the ways that students   use of data could go wrong and undermine their  arguments   (p. 5). Over time, she researched and developed an approach to teaching critical  data  literacy  skills  that  includes  three  dimensions,  which  together  facilitate  students    abilities to read data critically and use data ethically:  (1) Functional literacy    the technical skills and knowledge necessary to present data (e.g.,  creating different styles of charts and graphs),   (2)  Critical  literacy      an  orientation  that  involves  asking  questions  about  how  data  is  collected and used, such that the student can accept or resist the data-based argument and  the dataCied information environment,  (3) Rhetorical literacy    the understanding that when data is used, it is   invented   (p. 18),  from its collection to its presentation and that data is used within rhetorical situations for  persuasive and story-telling purposes.  Notably, LaClen emphasizes that working with students on critical data literacy skills does  not  require  an  instructor  to  have  high-level  statistics  or  mathematical  skills.  Rather,  it  requires a recognition that   a static approach to information   (p. 35) and the rigid design of  writing assignments that limits students to traditional academic sources is not sufCicient for  an education that bridges to students   present and future. Depending on the experience of  the instructor, working with students on critical data literacy may also require a willingness  to co-learn with students.   In sum, LaClen makes a strong case for including data literacy in composition classes. A  real  strength  of  the  book  lies  in  her  discussion  of  writing  assignments  where  she  demonstrates her pedagogy and scaffolds the process for instructors. Throughout the book,  she includes sample reading and writing assignments from her Cirst-year and professional   Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 35, 2025  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr  49  writing courses, shares her rationale for the assignments, sometimes suggests resources that  can be used when implementing the assignment (including data sources and free tech tools  for students), and provides samples of student work and student reClections.   Through the example assignments, I make connections to my own pedagogy and begin to  think  about  where  critical  data  literacy  Cits  into  courses  I  have  taught.  In  her  assignment  design, I see echoes of John Bean  s (2011) advice for assignment design, most especially his  instruction  to  build  a  RAFT  for  students  into  the  assignment  instructions  (i.e.,  clearly  communicate the Role, Audience, Format, and Task for the assignment) (p. 98). LaClen also  builds  a  RAFT  into  each  set  of  assignment  instructions.  In  addition,  I  see  echoes  of  the  Meaningful Writing Project (Eodice et al., 2016) that highlights the importance of choice for  students with respect to the content of their work; in LaClen  s assignments, the tasks are set  but students often have scope to choose their content. Finally, in LaClen  s assignments, I see  echoes of the Council of Writing Program Administrator  s (Anderson et al., 2015) work, that  emphasizes the importance of interactive writing processes. LaClen incorporates peer review  and  self-reClection  in  the  writing  process  and  collaborates  with  her  students  to  develop  marking criteria. Because the design of her assignments is recognizable and builds on shared  principles, focusing on critical data literacy feels achievable.  Convinced  of  LaClen  s  argument  for  including  critical  data  literacy  and  seeing  the  connections in writing pedagogy, I begin to consider how critical data literacy could take a  more prominent place in the writing courses I have taught and that I know. Building the focus  on critical data literacy into multimodal composition classes is a good Cit. In more traditional  composition courses, analyzing data visualizations could be an excellent starting point for  discussions  of  how    data  are  invented  at  every  stage  of  the  composition  process    (LaClen,  2025,  p.  18)  and  could  increase  awareness  of  rhetorical  situation  (i.e.,  the  purposes  and  perceived  audiences  that  drive  the  writing  process).  Starting  with  critical  data  literacy  assignments that use information sources encountered in our everyday lives could help build  a base and a bridge of understanding to more traditional academic literacies.   My only caution in implementing LaClen  s suggestions is to Canadian readers, speciCically  the research processes suggested in Chapter 5,   Using Data as a Tool to Improve Teaching  and  Learning.    Through  my  experience  with  formal  assessment  and  participation  at   Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 35, 2025  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr  50  international conferences, I have learned that some requirements for conducting research  are different in Canada than they are in the United States, which is where LaClen lives and  works.  For  example,  processes  for  securing  student  permission  to  use  their  work  and  requirements for using old student data may be different. The required methods for storing  student information may also be different. At the beginning of any assessment process, it is  essential for instructors to check with their local Research Ethics Board and to learn about  the requirements for assessment in their own location.   Overall, I highly recommend Critical Data Storytelling to all writing instructors for their  consideration.  I  also  recommend  this  book  to  instructors  in  other  academic  departments  who  are  interested  in  working  with  students  on  the  development  of  critical  data  literacy  skills.  LaClen  s  argument  is  solid  and  clearly  presented,  builds  upon  well-supported  pedagogical  practices,  and  makes  an  important  contribution  to  the  conversation  about  writing instruction in the age of generative AI. s   References Anderson, P., Anson, C. M., Gonyea, R. M., &amp; Paine, C. (2015). The contributions of writing to  learning and development: Results from a large-scale multi-institutional study. Research  in the Teaching of English, 50(2), pp. 199    235.  Bean, J. C. (2011). Engaging ideas: The professor  s guide to integrating writing, critical  thinking, and active learning in the classroom (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.  Eodice, M., Geller, A. E., &amp; Lerner, N. (2016). The meaningful writing project: Learning,  teaching, and writing in higher education. Utah State University Press.  LaClen, A. (2025). Critical data storytelling in the composition classroom. Utah State  University Press.

## Références

P., Anson, C. M., Gonyea, R. M., & Paine, C. (2015). The contributions of writing to learning and development: Results from a large-scale multi-institutional study. Research in the Teaching of English, 50(2), pp. 199 – 235.

Bean, J. C. (2011). Engaging ideas: The professor’s guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Eodice, M., Geller, A. E., & Lerner, N. (2016). The meaningful writing project: Learning, teaching, and writing in higher education. Utah State University Press.

Laflen, A. (2025). Critical data storytelling in the composition classroom. Utah State University Press.