Multimedia & Multimodal

Technology within an educational environment allows practitioners to teach their students with numerous techniques and resources. Multimodal highlights the modes of communication representing the visual image, design and print (Hassett et al, 2009). This allows children and young people to explore language - writing and reading (Pahl et al, 2005).  Multimodality allows children to develop social skills and intellectual well-being within a classroom and outside through the aspect of play (Moyle, 2007).  Society has evolving technology that students continue to use outside of the classroom, this affects the pedagogy within the educational environment as barriers occur (Twiner, 2010).  Multimedia allows practitioners to communicate through interactive learning and digital media, demonstrating a student-center approach (Neo, 2004). However, educators may find evolving technology challenging and expensive. 

Click here to watch a video demonstrating multimodality in a classroom.

References

Hassett, Dawnene D., & Curwood, Jen Scott. (2009). Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms. Reading Teacher, 63(4), pp. 270-282.

Moyles, J. (2007). Beginning Teaching Beginning Learning. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. 

Pahl, K., & Rowsell, J. (2005). Literacy and Education Understanding the New Literacy Studies in the Classroom. London: SAGE Publications.

Tse-Kian Neo, & Mai Neo. (2004). Classroom innovation: Engaging students in interactive multimedia learning. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 21(3), pp. 118-124.

Twiner, Alison, Coffin, Caroline, Littleton, Karen, & Whitelock, Denise. (2010). Multimodality, Orchestration and Participation in the Context of Classroom Use of the Interactive Whiteboard: A Discussion. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 19(2), pp.  211-223. 

MULTIMEDIA AND MULTIMODAL

Multimedia and multimodal are very different, multimodal describes the reasoning behind our choice of combining particular communication modes in order to best explain an idea to an audience. Whereas multimedia focuses on the technology to create captivating illusions for viewers. They are both “especially interesting terms to examine together because they come from different social, technological, and historical contexts and their definitions are technically different, yet they are often understood similarly”.( s Cynthia L. Selfe (2007).Multimedia tools are used in education within today’s society because it engages children and provides valuable learning opportunities and empowers students to create and design instead of captivating representations created by others. Learning4kids is an example of a multimedia tool that is being used to educate children, this tool is a place where parents, educators “create an online source where they can find a useful box of activities and play ideas to do with their children that will also help promote learning and development.” Here’s a link to the website http://www.learning4kids.net/where-to-start/. Children are exposed to and use range of technologies and a new communication process in their home, school and community environment. In education teachers should encompass new ways of communication and interpretation involving multimodal and using multimedia tools as it will enhance children’s learning and development.

References

YouTube. (2017). Multimodal Texts and Early Years Literacy. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9cCnaYON0g [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Learning 4 Kids. (2017). ABOUT. [online] Available at: http://www.learning4kids.net/where-to-start/ [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017].

Observing the users of digital educational technologies—theories, methods and analytical approaches. (2007). New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 13(2), pp.87-91.

Multimedia and multimodal

Multimedia and Multimodal can be adapted in a variety of different pedagogical learning paths. This in turn will enable the pupil to understand the topic which increases the child’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Twiner et al, 2010). Multimodal within a class room environment allows children to collaborate ideas to develop their critical thinking. This style of teaching is influenced by the Donald’s Report; the increase in the use of technology develops the child to be more of a critical learner (CSCJES, 2015).  Multimodal within the classroom is very effective for children with Special Educational Needs. The use of the smart interactive whiteboard is extremely beneficial in developing the child’s fine motor skills. The learner has to use their fine motor skills in order to achieve the whiteboard work (Thomas and Schmid, 2010). This aspect of technology is effective for dyslexic learners because they are required to undertake continuous writing which develops the child’s cognitive development (Hall, 2009). This is influenced by Piaget Stages of Cognitive Development and Vygotsky Zone of Proximal Development (Hall, 2009). Multimedia and multimodal can be used within the Foundation Phase to present key ideas in a variety of different ways for the target audience and for a variety of different pedagogical learning paths (Rudd and Tyldesley, 2006).

https://1drv.ms/f/s!Aq4OxJy4ORbegRDbNgY3lZ3FWfRt

Reference list

CSCJES.org. (2015). Initial Highlights of the Donaldson Report. Online at: http://www.cscjes.org.uk/getattachment/34a3bdcf-370f-4c92-aa1c-29500bea443c/Initial-Highlights-of-the-Donaldson-Report.pdf.aspx. Accessed: 28th December 2016

 Rudd, A. and Tyldesley, A. (2006) Literacy and ICT in the Primary School: A Creative Approach to English. London: David Fulton.

Hall, W. (2009). Dyslexia in the Primary Classroom (Achieving QTS Cross-Curricular Strand Series). London: SAGE Publications

Thomas, M., & Schmid, E. (2010). Interactive whiteboards for education : Theory, research, and practice. Hershey PA: Information Science Reference.

Twiner, A. , Coffin, C. , Littleton, K. and Whitelock, D.(2010) 'Multimodality, orchestration and participation in the context of classroom use of the interactive whiteboard: a discussion', Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 19: 2, pp.211 — 223