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Building Fictional Ethos: Analysing the Rhetorical Strategies of Persona Design for Online Role Play

This article presents a qualitative case study that uses discourse and social semiotic analysis methods in order to examine the rhetorical construction of fictional personas within an online role play used for learning in the college classroom. Of special focus are the differing patterns of semiotic resource use (for example, language and interaction) and how these patterns vary in their rhetorical impact. The article begins with a review of recent literature related to digital writing and online role play. Next, an analysis of two participants' identity performances within an online role-play debate shows how the selection and distribution of semiotic resources have different rhetorical impact within the role-play setting. This study further develops the understanding of online identity construction and networking as social practices that impact learning and literacy online.