Multimodality, literacy and texts: Developing a discourse

Abstract

This article argues for the development of a framework through which to describe children's multimodal texts. Such a shared discourse should be capable of including different modes and media and the ways in which children integrate and combine them for their own meaning-making purposes. It should also acknowledge that multimodal texts are not always or only screen-based. In addition, it is argued that current definitions of literacy do not readily answer to the variety of semiotic resources deployed in the design of multimodal texts. In revisiting the author's previous tentative thoughts about `the rhetoric of design' the article develops this theme further through offering a possible framework and using this to analyse three different types of multimodal texts created by seven-year-old children. The framework is, however, a `work in progress', which it is hoped, will open up debate.

Design and Redesign of a Multimodal Classroom Task – Implications for Teaching and Learning

“…It requires teacher knowledge and awareness of multimodal teaching and design, which might introduce the idea of a meta-language (New London Group, 2000). There is also a need for a common discourse about multimodal texts in instruction (e.g., Bearne, 2009;Edward-Groves, 2011).…”

“…Research has provided examples of teacher-designed tasks and software programs that offer new opportunities for learning, such as improved learning by classroom interaction with digital tools, learning and understanding of the subject content through visual modes, and learning by the variation of different modes (Bearne, 2009;Birmingham, Davies, & Greiffenhagen, 2002;Dils, 1999;Jewitt, 2006;2008;Mavers, 2003;Tomlinson, 2013;Watters, Conley, & Alexander, 1998).…”

“…But there are still barriers to the inclusion of pupils' multimodal texts in formal assessment because of the lack of explicit goals addressing multimodal reading and composition. Several studies express a need for a common discourse about multimodal texts in instruction (e.g., Bearne, 2009;Edward-Groves, 2011).…”

Prefabricated Images in Young Children’s Text-Making at School

“…The analysis of the selected images and the writing follows Bearne's (2009a) framework for analysing multimodal texts regarding image and language. Specifically content, size and colour are used in the analysis of the images and lexis and syntax concerning language.…”

“…It is stressed that modes interrelate to make meaning. Therefore children's different ways of creating coherent texts through interweaving different modes in a specific form of text are in focus in Bearne's (2009a) suggested framework.…”