Multiliteracies Pedagogy Research Articles

The Effectiveness of Multiliteracy Pedagogy in Teaching Writing Explanation Texts to Senior High School Students

The Effectiveness of Multiliteracy Pedagogy in Teaching Writing Explanation Texts to Senior High School Students

Classroom Teachers Ability to Create Digital-based Learning Media for Students Reading Interest in Elementary Schools in Cilengkrang District, Bandung Regency

Literacy skills are a manifestation of an individual’s ability or quality of being literate, encompassing the ability to read and write, both physically, tactically, and technically, within a unit to carry out a mission or task. In this case, the mission is to enhance the reading interest of elementary school students in the Cilengkrang District, Bandung Regency. In line with Cope and Kalantzis (2000), multiliteracy pedagogy has evolved to encompass multilingual and multimodal dimensions of literacy[1]. This has implications for schools and communities that need to develop practices and skills in using various ways to express and comprehend ideas and information through conventional text forms as well as innovative text forms, symbols, and multimedia [2]. Literacy skills can be enhanced by adapting current learning media to be digitally based to attract the literacy interest of students. Through engaging learning media, the literacy movement can be successful. The method used is digitizing conventional learning media and introducing innovative new learning media to enhance reading interest in students. Based on these considerations, training on creating digital-based learning media is necessary as an innovative effort in preparing effective learning media with the goal of improving the literacy skills of elementary school students. The training, followed by mentoring, will be conducted over a three-month period, from February to April 2023, involving 36 teacher participants. The outcomes of this training and mentoring, students interest in elementary schools in Cilengkrang District has increased because learning media is no longer conventional and digital based. This increase was achieved after teachers attended training and were able to create and apply digital-based learning media in the classroom. Keywords: literacy skills, learning media, elementary school

TRANSFORMING LITERARRY TEXTS: A MULTILITERACIES APPROACH TO ENGAGING DIGITAL NARRATIVES

Combining technology with literary texts may help solve the obstacles faced in modern education. Digital storytelling (DST) is an engaging approach that involves students with literature, developing creativity, cultural knowledge, and character development, while creating a dynamic classroom atmosphere. This research investigated how the lecturer use multiliteracies pedagogy to facilitate students in transforming literary text into a DST and their responses to this process. The researchers used purposive sampling and performed a qualitative case study to get detailed insights into how multiliteracies instruction transforms literary text into digital storytelling among 25 ELT students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo. The results showed that the DST task promotes students’ active involvement with texts. They scrutinised the components of the narrative and converted the text into a digital story. The stages of multiliteracies teaching had a good influence on students’ learning experiences, improved their comprehension of literary content, and encouraged them to combine literature and technology. Ultimately, multiliteracies teaching may transform passive learning into active engagement and foster students’ creativity, cultural proficiency, and multimodal literacy abilities.

At the intersection of multiliteracies and glocalisation: a case study in a university in Taiwan

ABSTRACT This study introduces a pedagogical framework incorporating multiliteracies, a new literacy concept proposed by the New London Group (1996, A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60–92. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.66.1.17370n67v22j160u), and glocalised marketing, the adaptation of marketing strategies to fit local markets, within an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) setting. The article first reviews ESP research that adopts a multimodal approach and outlines the main features of a multimodal pedagogical framework, which is then expanded to encompass a pedagogy of multiliteracies and glocalised marketing for an English for advertising and marketing curriculum. In doing so, the framework is further connected with disciplinary literacy, a subject-specific skill set combining knowledge construction and language communication that can be cultivated through the pedagogy. The study presents findings from multimodal projects and surveys completed by 28 university students from a university in Taiwan. Using case study analysis, the study investigates the effectiveness of the pedagogical framework in promoting multimodal meaning-making practices and assesses participants’ perceptions of the learning benefits of this approach. The study hopes to provide pedagogical insights for ESP teachers to cultivate learners’ communicative competence in a digitalised and globalised society.

CLIL teacher online professional development in translanguaging and trans-semiotizing: a pedagogy of multiliteracies

ABSTRACT Theories of translanguaging and trans-semiotizing have gained relevance in the design of learning in CLIL classrooms. However, while many studies have shown the benefits of these pedagogies, scarce research has explored CLIL teacher professional development (PD) in this field. In this paper, I intend to measure the effectiveness of an online pedagogy of multiliteracies, which embraces translanguaging and trans-semiotizing, to enhance CLIL teachers’ semiotic awareness to design learning experiences that improve students’ comprehension. The study was conducted on a multicultural group of 200 CLIL teachers from Spain, Colombia and Ecuador. They worked with primary and secondary students in multilingual contexts where a Spanish dialect, or a co-official, an indigenous or a Creole language was the L1, and English the L2. The data were collected from two sources, an initial survey and a final essay. The content analysis of the dataset revealed that the learning intervention positively influenced teachers’ pre-existing beliefs and PD. They showed a more accurate conceptualisation of translanguaging and trans-semiotizing, were more aware of their multimodal literacy practices to make new content comprehensible in CLIL classrooms, and identified potential improvements in their communication processes related to the two concepts.

Creating an inclusive second language writing classroom through multiliteracies pedagogy: A duoethnography study

AbstractStudents with special educational needs face challenges in developing second language writing skills. These students lack specialised instruction and support, especially in mainstream classrooms, due to a lack of expertise and understanding of inclusive education. This article explores two teachers' conceptualisations of inclusive education and special educational needs, as well as investigating the application of a multiliteracies pedagogy in the context of fostering inclusivity within a second language writing classroom. Through duoethnography, the teachers share their experiences of tailoring lessons for students with special educational needs. The study highlights the complexities of inclusivity in second language writing classrooms with multiliteracies pedagogy and promotes professional learning through duoethnography. The analysis illustrates the challenges and opportunities for teachers catering to students with special educational needs. The article discusses whether using multiliteracies pedagogy for inclusive classrooms is a possible reality or an ideological pipedream.

Implementation Of Multiliteration Pedagogy in Education: A Socio-Cultural Perspective

This article explains the concept and benefits of multiliteracy in education and the challenges and strategies associated with implementing multiliteracy in education. Multiliteracy is an approach that accommodates different forms of literacy, such as language, text, media, and culture. Using a systematic literature review, this research aims to investigate the implementation of multiliteracy pedagogy in educational contexts from a sociocultural perspective. The literature search will be conducted in several databases, including Scopus, ERIC, and Google Scholar. The study results show that multiliteracies can benefit students by increasing awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity, expanding global horizons, and fostering intercultural communication and collaboration. However, multiliteracies also pose challenges, such as considering socio-cultural influences on learning, integrating varied texts and media, and addressing intercultural gaps and conflicts. This article provides insights into the concept and benefits of multiliteracies in education and the challenges and strategies associated with implementing multiliteracies in education. It also suggests further research on the impact and implications of multiliteracies in education.

INCORPORATING MULTILITERACY PEDAGOGY ELEMENTS INTO EFL SPEAKING CLASS THROUGH DIGITAL STORYTELLING

In a globalised world where cross-cultural communication is becoming increasingly
 important, the ability to communicate effectively in various contexts through spoken
 language is crucial. Multiliteracy enables individuals to communicate effectively and
 confidently in a variety of contexts, both within their own culture and across cultures.
 Digital storytelling utilises diverse modes of communication, promotes creativity and
 global communication, and integrates technology in the learning process, making it a
 valuable tool for multiliteracy pedagogy. Thus, the study aims to show how multiliteracy
 pedagogy elements are incorporated into English as a Foreign Language speaking class
 through digital storytelling. This is a pilot study in which thematic analysis is used to find
 the themes within four knowledge processes of multiliteracy pedagogy in digital
 storytelling activity. The findings show that through experience, the students can practise
 speaking in an authentic context, develop their language skills through conceptualising
 and analysing their stories, and receive feedback from peers and teachers. Therefore,
 digital storytelling achieves the purpose of representing all four elements of multiliteracy
 pedagogy, namely, situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing, and transformed
 practice which facilitate the growth of speaking proficiency.

Facilitating Intercultural Communicative Competence through a Multiliteracies approach: musical input as the missing link

Foreign Language (FL) learning has undergone a shift away from the communicative approach and towards a pedagogy of Multiliteracies. In an ever-changing society characterized by a digital and multicultural context, the necessity of developing Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in FL learning across all levels through a pedagogy of Multiliteracies has become a priority. In this regard, musical input is an ideal medium to explore culture in the FL learning classroom which enables the integration of affective experiences from an intercultural perspective. The reasons for the implementation of musical input into FL learning curricula to develop ICC is twofold: on the one hand, it may serve to stimulate students’ awareness towards the target culture; and, on the other hand, it may be an effective way to engage students in intercultural encounters from an affective point of view. A corpus has been designed in order to analyze those studies on the development of ICC in FL learning across all levels through a Multiliteracies approach. The findings demonstrate that the use of musical input to develop ICC in the FL learning classroom through a pedagogy of Multiliteracies is scarce. Moreover, this study seeks to promote musical input-based activities to facilitate the development of ICC in the FL learning classroom through a Multiliteracies pedagogy.

Multimodal meaning-making in student presentations: the impact of explicit feedback in a German as a foreign language classroom

Abstract This study examines the impact of teacher feedback on seven students’ presentations on social and cultural topics held in a German-as-a-foreign language classroom in Japan. Following the submission of self-recorded presentation drafts on an online learning platform, students received explicit feedback on how their spoken commentary related to the visible information on slides derived from the theoretical insights of social semiotics and systemic functional linguistics. After allocating one class to revising their work, students presented their finalized presentations, which were video recorded, cut, and prepared for analysis. Subsequently, a total of 14 sections that underwent alterations in both the draft and in-class presentation were scrutinized following a qualitative multimodal discourse analytical framework. By demonstrating the differences between two students’ early drafts and their final in-class presentations, this study shows how adding verbal language that extended a slide’s content strengthened audience engagement through interpersonal functions in language, gaze, body orientation, and gesture. Further, restructuring and inserting additional entities on the PowerPoint slide helped emphasize the talk’s ideational components. The findings of this study have implications for multiliteracies pedagogy in a foreign language context, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach that considers language and other modes as complementary aspects of communication.

Developing intercultural competence in adult language learning through the multiliteracies approach

Intercultural communication plays a key role in our complex societies, where migratory flows remain consistent. An approach based on multiliteracies could help these citizens to integrate in a new territory. This study seeks to evaluate and synthesise the literature focusing on the pedagogy of multiliteracies to develop intercultural competence in adult language learning. A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA protocol. Web of Science, Scopus and ERIC were searched from their inception up to January 2022. Critical appraisal was performed using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool and the results were presented as a narrative synthesis. The results indicate that only nine qualitative studies were eligible for consideration in this systematic review. Moreover, a wide variety of didactic tools were employed to foster intercultural competence through a pedagogy of multiliteracies. However, at-risk-of-exclusion learners were misrepresented. Hence, future lines of research could include learners such as migrants in their study designs, as well as learners’ and educators’ perceptions. Educational language policies still need to consider the situation of present-day societies along with the promising approach of multiliteracies with regard to intercultural competence in adult language learning.

Multiliteracies and self-directed language learning in an academic setting

Multiliteracies pedagogy, which focuses on the development of linguistic, visual and digital literacies, is closely tied to the concept of self-directed learning. This paper proposes that higher education institutions should provide students with opportunities to practise multiliteracies through self-directed learning projects. The University of Fribourg serves as a case study, with the analysis delving into the pedagogical framework and student acceptance. Evaluation data, including questionnaires and student reflections, are used to gauge the programme’s effectiveness. The study finds that providing students with resources, support and training on effective resource utilisation is essential for successful integration of self-directed language learning projects. Furthermore, the paper discusses strategies for implementing such programmes in university settings and offers recommendations for enhancement. It emphasises the importance of language policies that advocate for the benefits of self-directed learning and individual support while encouraging its integration into group classes. This approach can help address potential resource constraints and foster a more comprehensive, learner-centred educational experience.

Wordless Picturebooks as Resources for the Construction of the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies. The Case of Migrants, by Issa Watanabe

AbstractThis article presents the study of Migrants (2019), a wordless picturebook by Peruvian author Issa Watanabe, developed to answer the following research question: To what extent can this visual text become a resource for the learning of multiliteracies? A visual discourse analysis of the narrative was performed, focusing on the identification of key meanings and semiotic resources used in their visual construction. Our findings unveil the prominent role of semiotic resources such as anthropomorphism, vectors, colours, position and unboundedness of the page frame, in the visual realization of key meanings such as diversity, journeys, death, and empathy. Upon these findings, we present Migrants as an extraordinary literary text to initiate children in learning the visual mode, one of the multiple modes currently used in the representation of meaning. We discuss our findings with reference to the main question leading the study, the pedagogical conceptualizations endorsed by the multiliteracies theoretical framework and other relevant research. While the study suggests that wordless picturebooks are called to play a prominent role in the construction of the multiliteracies pedagogical agenda, it furthermore points to the potential of the pedagogy of multiliteracies in the conceptualization of literary pedagogy itself.

The Implementation of A Multiliteracy Pedagogy Framework for Teaching Critical Teaching

The Multiliteracy Pedagogy Framework has been promoted to improve education in many countries; however, it is not popular yet in Indonesia. The framework relates to enhancing students' thinking skills. The other research indicated that the MPF did not positively affect students' critical thinking since the teacher did not have good knowledge about it; the teacher did not completely implement the four framework syntax in the teaching-learning process. The research, therefore, intends to reveal the implementation of the MPF for teaching critical thinking in the reading class of English Language Education (PBI) students. The research subjects are a lecture on the Reading subject and 20 students in the third semester at PBI Nahdlatul Ulama University of Sidoarjo (UNUSIDA). It is descriptive qualitative research using observation and questionnaire techniques to collect data. Descriptive statistics were used to generate summaries. The first implementation process is changing the lesson plan based on the multiliteracy pedagogy framework dimension. The activities are arranged in order from the cognitive functions in Multiliteracy; experiencing, conceptualizing, analyzing, and applying. The lecturer followed the syntax easily and completely. The result of students' assignments proves they can think critically about a text by giving comments supported with reasons, recommendations, data, conclusions, and evaluations. Besides, the students enjoyed the instruction and responded well to the questionnaire, with 96,5% on average.

Teacher professional identities and their impacts on translanguaging pedagogies in a STEM EMI classroom context in China: a nexus analysis

While translanguaging has gained increasing recognition as a multiliteracy pedagogy in English-medium instruction (EMI) education, research exploring its implementation in STEM classroom contexts remains limited. Furthermore, the interplay of EMI teachers’ professional identities and their instructional strategies has received little attention. This qualitative study explores how STEM academics in an EMI programme in China implemented translanguaging pedagogy, developed their professional identities, and examined the impact of identity on their classroom instructional language use. Drawing upon nexus analysis, the study maps the intersecting discourses influencing two EMI lecturers’ divergent language ideologies and translanguaging strategies. The findings highlight the role of teacher identity and agency in navigating institutional and classroom discourses, facilitating planned and effective translanguaging pedagogy. The study reveals identity struggles within the examined institution, where academic staff faced a challenge in balancing their roles as effective EMI teachers and successful researchers due to a discourse of research meritocracy and were constrained in exploring translanguaging pedagogy due to a discourse of internationalism. These challenges undermined their motivation to invest in teaching identity and pedagogical skills. This study underscores the need for a balanced view of research and teaching, more robust teacher evaluation systems, and institutional support to foster effective translanguaging pedagogy in EMI by incorporating teacher identity construction into EMI teacher preparedness.

MULTILITERACIES PEDAGOGY: A CASE STUDY OF CRITICAL READING IN ELT CLASSROOM BY IMPLEMENTING SITUATED PRACTICE

This research study aims to investigate the implementation of situated practice in multiliteracy teaching within an English Language Teaching (ELT) classroom, specifically focusing on critical reading activities. This study employed a qualitative approach. The study focuses on lecturers delivering lectures to third-year students enrolled in the English Study Program at Teacher Training and Educational Faculty, Timor University, East Nusa Tenggara Province. To analyze the data gathered and insights linked to the situated practice of multiliterate teaching in the ELT classroom, data were transcribed, encoded, displayed, and interpreted. The collected data is subjected to a comprehensive analysis to assess the effectiveness of implementing the situated practice of the multiliteracies pedagogical framework through students' critical reading. The findings revealed a significant enhancement in students' critical thinking abilities due to engaging in a series of learning activities within the Multiliteracy Pedagogy framework.

Instag(R)ite: integrating visual social media into academic writing instruction

Although a number of studies examined the use of social networking sites (SNSs) in academic writing instruction, these studies mainly revolve around social media centered on microblogging features. Despite living in a visually dominated world, the potential of visual social media such as Instagram whereby the textual, the visual and the social can be integrated to support the development of academic writing skills has remained widely untapped. This case study hence attempts to explore learners’ perceptions of the possible impact of visual social media-supported pedagogy on the learning progress of academic writing through the lens of a multiliteracies pedagogy that integrates rather than isolates the study of linguistic, visual, and sociocultural elements. Forty-nine first-year undergraduates enrolled in an English language teaching (ELT) program participated in the study. Adopting a constant comparative method, students’ journals, responses to open-ended surveys and focus group interviews were qualitatively analyzed. Analysis results revealed that the majority of the participants had positive perceptions of the adopted pedagogy due to the following experiences: (a) active learning at the pre-writing stage–an aspect that received far too little attention in studies focusing on the use of SNSs in academic writing, (b) seeing the familiar unfamiliar (c) interactive learning, and (d) self-regulated learning. The study provides fresh insights for educators seeking for innovative applications in writing classrooms.

Focalization and ideological meanings in a digital multimodal narrative: implications for the construction of the pedagogy of multiliteracies

Abstract This article aims to contribute to the construction of the pedagogy of multiliteracies. It presents a study developed to answer the following research question: How does focalization construct ideological meanings in digital multimodal narratives? A case study of a story app was developed involving multimodal critical discourse analysis. Findings reveal that focalization productively inscribes ideological meanings in the multimodal narrative through a complex layering of meanings resulting from the use of specific semiotic resources and the establishment of intermodal meaning processes. The findings suggest that focalization is a relevant dimension in the enactment of critical analysis of multimodal narratives, pointing into its importance in the enactment of the pedagogy of multiliteracies. Findings and implications are discussed with reference to extant research.

Meeting the Challenges of Designing Multimodal Texts to Promote Multiliteracies Pedagogy

This article aims to add to the understanding of the challenges involved in designing digital texts to promote multiliteracies pedagogy. A multiliteracies approach calls for multimodal meaning-making and cultural diversity to be integrated into new school curriculum content, and accordingly, we analyse an interactive children’s story app, named Mobeybou in Brazil. The research question addressed was: what can we learn about the design of multimodal texts aimed at promoting intercultural learning from the design of this story app? The app incorporates tangible and digital storytelling materials to promote intercultural skills among young children, focusing specifically on Brazil. Mobeybou in Brazil was studied to characterize the design of its multimodal representations of meaning, using categories from the grammar of storytelling and multimodal meaning-making, particularly those concerned with representing the experiential diversity and personal positioning of the app users. The findings provide evidence of the complexity involved in designing multimodal texts to meet the challenges of promoting multiliteracies pedagogy, highlighting the urgent need to narrow the interface between research undertaken in education, semiotics, and digital media design. The article concludes by identifying the study’s limitations and some future developments.

Exploring practices of multiliteracies pedagogy through digital technologies: a narrative inquiry

AbstractDigital technologies have fast become integral within literacy learning and teaching across contexts as students engage with a variety of digital and multimodal texts. While teachers in New Zealand schools have a high degree of autonomy in the design and planning of literacy programs, little is currently known about how they understand and enact multiliteracies pedagogy (MLP). Using data gathered via interviews and classroom observations in an intermediate school in New Zealand, this article adopts a narrative inquiry approach to explore one teacher's approaches to using digital technologies and texts within literacy instruction. We explore in particular the ways in which MLP may be enacted implicitly rather than explicitly, within the complex matrix of teachers' personal beliefs and learning experiences, the perceived learning needs of students, and the school curriculum. We conclude with a call for the conscious and purposeful teaching of MLP, focusing on synaesthesia and the semiotic functions of texts.