In this task we were asked to redesign our “What’s in the Bag” task to introduce ourselves in a multimodal format. The New London Group (1996) argued that a multimodal format allows for increased engagement, while meeting the needs and interests of the learners in a variety of contexts and preparing them for their future endeavors.
Click here to view my multimodal presentation
For this challenge, I wanted to find a medium that afforded me the opportunity to include audio, linguistic and visual modes of meaning. I opted to use a combination of iMovie and Powtoons to create my multimodal presentation. I am a beginner user of both programs. These programs afforded me the opportunity to include a linguistic design, with the addition of text throughout the presentation and audio design with the addition of my voice over and background music. I was also able to include a visual design to support learning with the use of videos, animations and photos.
Upon reflection, this iteration of my introductory task is now much more engaging than the first version. The multimodal version allowed me to capture more than just an image of my gym gear, but allowed me to capture visually what I do with the gear giving the listener a more complete picture and a better understanding. The multimodal version also allowed me to capture the elements of my life that are important (my kids and friends) which was difficult to capture in one single picture. Additionally, I felt that having audio gave the presentation a more personal feel and hopefully allowed the audience to connect more personally with my presentation. From a teaching perspective, the benefit of using different modes of representation allows us to reach a more diverse learner population. It also does a great job modeling different ways of knowing, which the students can then use in their own assessments.
Although I am fully supportive of the multimodal approach, it does require time, patience and there is a cost. Personally, I invested a lot of time and patience converting this introduction into a multimodal presentation and there was some frustration along the way. Additionally, Dobson and Willinsky (2009) discuss the challenges of the digital divide and the cost of technology. I recognize that I am privileged to have access to these two resources and need to be aware that a number of students will not have the same access.
References:
Dobson, T., & Willinsky, J. (2009). Digital Literacy. In Cambridge Handbook of Literacy.
The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review 66(1), 60-92.