Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, this study was designed to acquire quantitative and qualitative data that expose community college student perceptions on multimodal compositions compared to traditional writing practices. As traditional writing continues to be privileged in college writing classrooms, a critical pedagogy theoretical framework was used to frame the research to explore how this privilege affects the learning of marginalized students. Through the collection of survey data and interviews with students, this mixed methods study was designed to reveal how being assigned multimodal practices over traditional writing for low-stakes assignments improves the learning environments of students and allows them to choose the meaning making processes that best suit them. Examined as a transformative pedagogy, student multimodal composing can be perceived as a liberatory and anti-deficit approach to meaning making and agented design. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]