Relevance of Multiliteracies and Multi-modal approach to support students Learning

Literacy is no longer defined just as the teaching of learning how to read, write, listen, and spell. It now incorporates a whole new world of literacy, such as technology, the use of software and hardware, internet and program literacy(O'Toole, Burke, & Absalom, 2011). The increasing awareness of techno-literacies has been due to the increase use of technology at home and the working environment. As technology changes and improves, new tools are developed to help people adapt to using technologies, and societies are becoming more reliant of the use of technology(Lotherington, 2008). This need to be able to successfully operate and understand technology is becoming more evident in the education system. Goal two of the Melbourne Declaration (2008) specifically aims that a student;

“..have the essential skills in literacy and numeracy and are creative and productive users of technology, especially ICT, as a foundation for success in all learning areas.”(Ministerial Council on Education Employment Training and Youth Affairs, 2008)

This aim to implement technology as literacy has intended that teachers are becoming aware of multi-literacies and are adapting their lessons to include skills in developing these techno- literacies. The relevance of multi-literacy is the idea of teaching audio, visual and spatial literacy. All of which can be done through multimodal approaches with the aid of technology(Cloonan, 2008).

The idea of multimodal approach refers to the styles of pedagogies used to teach the content, for example, in my artefact, I used games, video, songs and written tasks to revise and create deep knowledge with the content being taught. By using a multimodal approach, students with visual, audio and kinaesthetic learning styles, all have the equal opportunity to learn(Ho, 2010). By adapting our lessons to provide an equal learning opportunity and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding are all key elements of the Quality Teaching Model(NSW Department of Education and Training Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate, 2003). These are substantial ways to support students learning.

With the growing use of technology, governments desire to use and teach it, mixed with the students desire to use technology, adapting a multimodal approach to teaching multi-literacy is more than beneficial to address and support all students learning needs.