Annotated Research Texts

Asselin, M., & Moayeri, M. (2011). Practical Strategies: The Participatory Classroom: Web 2.0 in the Classroom. Literacy Learning: the Middle Years, 19(2), i-vii. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database. Asselin and Moayeri discuss the uses of ICTs (Web 2.0 applications) in education, categorising them into either ‘mindset one’ in which ICTs are used for ‘skill and drill’ purposes and the teacher is the main audience/evaluator, or ‘mindset two’ wherein ICTs are used to develop learning and knowledge that is participatory, collaborative, multimodal, democratic and distributive. The authors highlight the relevance of ICTs in the everyday lives of young people and, when embedded in classroom learning, the empowerment of students through the development of literacies such as criticality, metacognition, reflection, and skills for creating and publishing content. This article is useful to my research topic as it discusses ICTs and the associated new literacies which correlates with my topic of multiliteracies and ICTs.

Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2009). “Multiliteracies”: New Literacies, New Learning. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4(3), doi: / Cope & Kalantzis have refined and reformulated the original concepts of the New London Group’s ‘Pedagogy of Multiliteracies’ in accordance with further research, subsequent events and the experimental applications in education. While the authors acknowledge that the core concepts of multiliteracies have endured over time, they have made a number of innovations to the “what” and “how” of multiliteracies pedagogy. In regards to the “what”, the modalities of meaning have been reconfigured with the separation of written and oral language, the addition of a tactile mode and the redefinition of the contents and scope of other modes. With respect to the “how”, the four major dimensions of pedagogy have been reframed and translated to the knowledge processes of experiencing, conceptualising, analysing and applying.

Hesterman, S. (2011). A Contested Space: the dialogic intersection of ICT, multiliteracies, and early childhood. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 12(4), Retrieved from ERIC database. In this article, Hesterman discusses the integration of ICT to support multiliteracies learning. The author explores this notion in two case studies in very different early childhood contexts identifying the complexities of implementing multiliteracies pedagogies and infusing ICT in the curriculum. These complexities include: differences in what is understood by a ‘multiliteracies approach’, curriculum priorities, support and the level of resources. This article is useful to my research topic as it seeks to define the notion of multiliteracies and the term ICT, as well as clarify the need for and effective ways of integrating ICT for a multiliteracies approach.

Iyer, R. (2007). Pedagogies of Design and Multiliterate Learner Identities. International Journal of Learning, 13(11), Retrieved from Education Research Complete. Iyer discusses the notion of multiliteracies and the role of multimodal literacies in the classroom in response to the ICT revolution to construct and redefine the roles and identities of students and teacher. The author discusses how new technologies have brought about new semiotic modes requiring the engagement with multimodal literacies in the classroom to cater for diversity. Iyer suggests that a pedagogy of multiliteracies is appropriate for today’s learning environments as it focuses on the cultural and linguistic diversity of students and on new technologies. The article illustrates that for a multiliteracies approach to be implemented, teacher and student identities must shift so that teachers take on the role of facilitator and students become authors.

Kervin, L. (2009). ‘GetReel’: engaging Year 6 students in planning, scripting, actualising and evaluating media text. Literacy, 43(1), Retrieved from ERIC database. In this article, Kervin discusses the notion of multiliteracies and the development and creation of multimodal texts within classroom in an age of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The author offers and example of how the changing nature of literacy and text is enacted within the classroom of the case study. The article concludes that the practices associated with the construction of texts and the types of texts, have changed as a result of new ICT. With increasing access to ICT, multimodal texts become an integral contributor to literate activities as the boundaries between text mediums and genres blur. This article is useful to my research topic as the author discusses the impact of ICT on society and classrooms.

Ljungdahl, L. (2011). Multiliteracies and Technology. In G. Winch, R. R. Johnston, P. March, L. Ljungdahl & M. Holliday, Literacy (4th ed., pp ). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. In this chapter, Ljungdahl covers a range of topics surrounding ICTs and multiliteracies. The benefits of technologies for teaching and learning are discussed as well as some of the concerns, giving a balanced approach. The impact of multimodal formats on texts is highlighted as well as the competencies and capabilities for e-learning. The author identifies the skills needed by teachers for engaging with technologies and the necessity of being alert to new technologies that can improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning. This chapter also provides a number of useful examples of implementing ICTs into the classroom including for communication; interactivity; reflection; the editing, accessing, storing and retrieving of texts; independent and collaborative work.

Tan, L., & Guo, L. (2010). From Print to Critical Multimedia Literacy: One Teacher’s Foray Into New Literacies Practices. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(4), doi: /JAAL In this article, Tan and Guo implement a pedagogy of multiliteracies into a classroom context to bridge the gap between the discourses of school and students’ everyday lives in which multimodality of texts is afforded by ICT. The authors describe the students as ‘digital natives’ who need to need to develop critical multimedia literacy. The role of the teacher is altered so that she becomes a co-learner with her students and a mediator in terms of designing relevant learning opportunities. The case study illustrates that alignment between pedagogy, curriculum and assessment in regards to multimodality is necessary for the development of new literacies to occur.

The New London Group. (1996). A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), Retrieved from EJS Database. The New London Group present a notion of “multiliteracies” which represents a new approach to literacy pedagogy required by the multiplicity of communication channels and increasing cultural and linguistic diversity. This broader definition of literacy encompasses a concept of Design comprising the three aspects of Available Designs, Designing and The Redesigned. The notion of multiliteracies is also informed by the increasing complexity and inter-relationship of different modes of meaning, that is, the linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, spatial, multimodal design (combinations of the other modes) elements. The article also identifies the four major components of pedagogy as being Situated Practice, Overt Instruction, Critical Framing and Transformed Practice. This notion that has defined an ‘era of multiliteracies’ in which pedagogical theories and the concept of literacy has been reformed for the empowerment of students.

Walsh, C. (2010). Systems-based literacy practices: digital games research gameplay and design. The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(1), This article introduces the term ‘system-based literacy practices’ to describe the new literacy practices developed by students as a result of the researching, playing and designing of digital games and their paratexts. This approach also encourages the acknowledgement of students’ accumulation of gaming capital. Walsh advocates the implementation of these practices within the English curriculum as legitimate topics of study to maintain a relevancy to student lifeworlds outside of school and connect disengaged students. The incorporation of digital games, gameplay and game design creates contexts for student engagement in multimodal design practices. This practice can then be transferred to the creation of digital games paratexts to accommodate the requirements of traditional school-based literacy practices still necessary for academic success.

Zammit, K, P. (2011). Connecting multiliteracies and engagement of students from low socio-economic backgrounds: using Bernstein’s pedagogic discourse as a bridge. Language and Education, 25(3), pp doi: / In this article, Zammit discusses the disengagement of students from low socio-economic backgrounds as a result of a narrow definition of literacy. This article considers the range of literacies that students require to participate fully in society as a result of the advances in technology. The author suggests the implementation of a pedagogy of multiliteracies utilising ICTs as a remedy for this. This approach was applied in the classroom contexts with a focus on developing student knowledge of multimodal texts and altering classroom messages to develop learner identities of literate individuals who are co-constructors of knowledge and utilise ICTs for authentic purposes. The article advocates shifts in pedagogy, curriculum and assessment to disrupt the negative message students receive about their identities as learners.