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*Note: Please view it first then click on the links! 

After reading the New London Group article on multiliteracies and applying it to the mode bending task, I drew a connection to  the SAMR model created by Dr Ruben Puentedura as a means to enhance and transform teaching and learning with the use of technology. As Terada (2020) pointed out, educators must determine how and when to apply the strategies to best suit the learners. To engage 21st century learners and a generation of digital natives, there needs to encompass “broad forms of representation” taking into consideration the cultural context and dynamic nature of language (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009). The challenges that exist in using digital technologies to redesign literacy practices involve an understanding on both the production and consumption of the multimodal designs. There is a complex relationship between the design elements. Rather than having to ‘reinvent the wheel’, there is an abundance of knowledge and skills to implement these modes of learning to allow for new meaning-making practices. 

Using the New London Group  diagram of multimodal design of meaning, I began to think of how I could redesign the original visual task to include various other elements of design.  Using the flat 2D image captured with my iPhone as the Available design, I remembered another student’s (Jocelyn Chan) presentation  of the task using the website genial.ly to elevate the design into an interactive sensory experience. Initially, I was searching for a digital tool that would allow me to maximize the modes of representation. Here I will outline how I used some of the modes of meaning: 

• Linguistic Design: On each of the pages in the slideshow, there are subtitles that are meant to ‘nominalize’ the content on the page. I also took a lighter, slightly more humorous approach to this task using metaphors to support the description of the image. 
• Visual Design: In order to produce a visually dynamic piece, I included transitions and interactive elements into the slideshow. Furthermore, I decided to highlight each of the items inside the bag  by focusing on individual or groups of items  rather than a holistic approach with all the items in one layout as it was for the original task. 
• Audio Design: In the background of the slideshow, I included a voice over of a description of each of the elements on the page. This accessible feature would allow for inclusion of a wider range of audiences based on reading ability. 

Arguably, I found it more difficult to include elements of spatial and gestural design into the task. To some degree, there are spatial elements as the audience is redirected to new websites when they click on an image. For example, if you were to click on the image of the board books, it would direct you to a read aloud of the text on YouTube. It takes you to various spaces on the web to gain more information on the topic. The main challenge with this platform was including an audio that fit the timing of the transitions of the page. It took a few tries to ensure that the audio matched with the description. Overall, the use of the platform genial.ly was effective in modifying the original task for the redesign process. 

Reference: 

Dobson & Willinsky (2009) Digital Literacy Cambridge Handbook of Literacy

Terada, Y. (2020, May 4) A Powerful Model  for Understanding Good Technology Integration. Edutopia. Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/article/powerful-model-understanding-good-tech-integration

The New London Group.  (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures.Harvard Educational Review 66(1), 60-92.