Multimodal Media and Digital Technology - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Write about theMultimodal Media and Digital Technology. Answer: Australian Governments Approach: Digital education revolution is a programme initiated by Australian Government. Main aims of this programme are to provide laptops to all the students of age 9 12 years in public high National Secondary Schools, computer Fund and deployment of internet connections with high speed to schools. Also, there is provision of digital tools, resources and infrastructure for the improvement in Australian curricula. There should be augmentation of information and communication technology (ICT) proficiency for both teachers and students. Implementation of the research projects related to the promotion of the ICT. Parents should be motivated to take part in the childrens educational programmes through online access. There should be provision of support to the schools for the deployment of ICT in their schools (DET, 2008). Research on Multimodal Media and Digital Technology: Shift to the new literacies from the old literacies is evident from the transition in practice on the Internet. This transition is in the form of Web 1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0. Improvement in the access of knowledge, facilitation of social participation and provision of personalized and co-ordinated exposure to use of internet and networks, helped improving awareness and benefits of digital technology pedagogy. Arguments were made regarding the digital exposure of the children, critical assessment of digital texts by the children and their vital involvement in the digital words. In these exercises, it was observed that with exposure to the digital texts these children experienced playfulness, activity and resourcefulness. From this, it was inferred that these children can connect themselves with digital texts (Davis and Merchant, 2009). Mavers (2007) analyzed an email exchange case between 6 year child and her uncle. In this study, it was observed that with the aid of digital texts children can enhance their exchange of messages. Gomez, Johnson and Gisladottir (2007), demonstrated that exposure to the digital texts in the early phase of life proved useful in acquiring skills in the later stage of the life. McTavish?s (2009) studied the case of Rajan. Rajan used to get book based education in the school while he used to get mutilingual, networked and multimodal education at the home. Rajan exhibited more interest in the home education as compared to the school education. Levy (2009) demonstrated that children developed meaningful interactions with the digital words and the multimodal screen based texts at home. However, when these children move to the schools to study text book based education, there may be change in the perceptions of children about the education. It was also observed that few students may lose their confidence in the education. Hence, if children are availing digital education, it should be same in the school also. More studies should be carried out t o address this discontinuity between the home based and school based education for the children. Analysis of the research in the evolution of technologies for the digital education is difficult because there were rapid changes occurring the technologies for the digital education. There is a scarcity of research in this field. Research indicated that computers in the digital education can be applicable for writing composition, personalized tool and practice in phonics, personalized reading, social association and commitment with digital texts. Merchant (2007), argued that there is requirement of the exploration of the digital writing in infusing and transforming early years education. Burnett (2009), made distinction between the construction of digital texts and skills related to the print based texts. It was also evident that research associated with the digital education is based on the assumptions and practices of psychological-cognitive model of print-based literacy. It was obser ved that there are limitations and inconsistency in dialogue of the children about digital education. Hence, children should be involved in the research and decision making, which would be helpful in identifying gaps in the research. Research indicates that in recent years there is increase in the use of digital technologies by the children for playing, learning and social connections. This ultimately leads to the increased learning capability in the children (Holloway, Green Livingstone, 2013; Ito et al., 2010; Livingstone, Haddon Gorzig, 2012). In this process, childrens perspective gets visibility by considering them as active in the form of social agents and media audiences (Buckingham, 2007a). There is abundant availability of the new technologies for the digital education; however these should be reflected in the schools. Transition from the traditional teaching, comprising of paper and pencil to digital education is a difficult task. For the effective implementation of the digital education in the schools, professional training should be provided to the teachers. Teachers agency and action are the important aspects of the educational change to digital education (Fullan, 2007). However, there is possibili ty of tension and confusion in the teacher for implementation of new digital technologies in the schools (Hardy, 2012). Teacher should develop enduring passion and motivation for bringing change. There should be maintenance of expectations, values, actions and beliefs of the traditional teaching methods with the implementation of the digital education system. Multimedia education and its research is evolving, however it exhibited promising success in the pedagogy. However, most of the studies were of short duration. These studied were designed for the research analysis. When multimedia education was applied for the classroom education, it exhibited mixed though positive outcomes. Most of the researchers argued that, these mixed results obtained from the implementation of multimodal education in the classroom due to lack of specificity and focus on a single multimedia intervention. Most of the research related to multimodal education didnt address all the aspects of the multimodal education in a single study. Different aspects of the multimodal education which need to be addressed in a single study are specific combinations of modalities, formats within modalities, learner characteristics, scaffolding of learners, learner age, complexity and type of learning goals addressed. Hence, implementation of single protocol for the past and current research in the classroom teaching is not possible (Barbara, 2015). New Web 2.0 technologies produces differences in the multimodal education, hence more research needs to be carried out in this aspect of the multimodal education. Richard Mayer, Roxanne Moreno and few others are the prominent researchers in the field of multimedia education. These researchers mentioned that memory retention is better with words and image as compared to the words only, moreover, word and image should be near to each other and words and image should be displayed simultaneously instead of successively. These researchers also stated that learning is more with animation and narration instead of animation and on-screen text and with information in a single modality. Research indicated that usefulness of the multimodal education depends on the efficacy, motivation, and volition of learners, also it depends on the type of learning task and complexity of the instructions. However, there is no established gr ading available for the multimedia instruments for education (Hansen-Schirra and Grucza, 2016; Ferdig, 2013; Coiro et al., 2014). Education should be provided to explain very complex issue in a very simple manner. With the use of multimodal education, it can be, possible however there is lack of specific linkage between the multimedia mode and type of education. More research should be carried out to assess interaction between the student and software or web source. Most of the researchers mentioned that there should be proper interpretation of the visual results for improving efficiency of multimedia education. However, none of the researchers mentioned method of interpretation of visual results. In most of the research carried out on the multimodal education, it was evident that media and the pedagogy are not defined separately. In the studies, it is evident that pedagogy is more associated with achievement as compared to the media. Recent research indicated that there should be m erger of cognitive sciences and neurosciences for the beneficial outcome of the multimedia education (Niess, 2015; Flood et al., 2015). Advantages: Digital education can be more beneficial to the children as compared to the regular education because in digital education there is conditional verbal input and dependent on the childs behavior. Digital education can give soothing effect in children by reducing stress on the children. Web-based programmes can be used effectively to modify the educational pogrammes based on the requirement of the individual children. Hence, children can experience home based education in the school also. With the help of digital technologies, children can construct their own cultures and these social codes would be helpful for the children discourse their risks and opportunities. This would be helpful for the children to reflect themselves and position themselves in the society. Different modes of education in digital education like Facebook, Messenger, Skype and a mobile phone, can give children opportunity for learning and development in children in a dynamic way. Messengers are small and useful for conversations with the close associations. Skype can be useful for the children through use of both audio and video media. Facebook is useful for sharing and conversations. Hence, children can develop these capabilities in them. There is possibility of universal exposure through the digital education (Railean, 2015). Disadvantage: Digital education can lead to the dominance of children with digital education. Hence, it may divide the children in rich and poor which may lead to the social inequality. Digital education may lead to the sedentary lifestyle in the children. Digital education requires high-end computer system which functions may gets interrupted due to some technical issues. Contents of the digital education cannot be accessible to large proportion of children with no accessories to assess these contents (Jia, 2012). Teaching Pedagogies: Teaching pedagogies for multimodal media and digital technology education include virtual learning, game-based learning, accessing digital content, active participation in online communities, assessment and reporting online and use of technology to connect, collaborate, curate and create. In virtual learning children can get access to the people and information all the world and can get current information. However, there is controversy remained whether both children and teacher can get access to the virtual learning. There is also possibility that disconnect can happen between teacher and student. Video or electronic gaming is useful in teaching goals, adjustment, troubleshooting and interaction. In game based learning, trainer should decide upon objective of training the game to children. It should be with specific objective and not for entertainment purpose. Online participation would be helpful for the children for getting motivation, recognition, sense of efficiency and sense of community. However, this online participation should be with positive people. Online assessment and reporting would be useful in getting rapid feedback on progress (Hutchison and Woodward, 2014; Loveless, 2013). References: Barbara, G. (2015). Handbook of Research on the Societal Impact of Digital Media. IGI Global. Burnett, C. (2009). Research into literacy and technology in primary classrooms: an exploration of understandings generated by recent studies, Journal of Research in Reading, 31(1), 22-37. Buckingham, D. (2007). Childhood in the age of global media. Childrens Geographies, 5(1), 4354. Coiro, J., Knobel, M., Lankshear, C., and Leu, D. J. (2014). Handbook of Research on New Literacies. Taylor Francis. Department of Education and Training. (DET). (2008). Digital education revolution : Overview. Retrieved form https://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/detresources/about-us/how-we-operate/national-partnerships/digital-education-revolution/news/bulletins/clbulletin10.pdf. on 25.05.2017. Davies, J. and Merchant, G. (2009) Web 2.0 for Schools: Social Participation and Learning. Peter Lang. New York Ferdig, R. E. (2013). Exploring Multimodal Composition and Digital Writing. IGI Global. Flood, J., Heath, S. B., and Lapp, D. (2015). Handbook of Research on Teaching Literacy Through the Communicative and Visula Arts. Routledge. Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change. New York: Teachers College Press. Gomez, M., Johnson, A., and Gisladottir, K. (2007). Talking about literacy: A cultural model of teaching and learning untangled. Journal of early childhood literacy, 7(1), 27-48. Hansen-Schirra, S., and Grucza, S. (2016). Eyetracking and Applied Linguistics. Language Science Press. Hardy, C. (2012). Hysteresis. In M. Grenfell (Ed.), Pierre Bourdieu: Key concepts. Holloway, D., Green, L., and Livingstone, S. (2013). Zero to eight. Young children and their internet use. London: LSE, EU Kids Online. Hutchison, A., and Woodward, L. (2014). A Planning Cycle for Integrating Digital Technology Into Literacy Instruction. The Reading Teacher. 67(6), 455464. Ito, M., Baumer, S., Bittanti, M., Boyd, D., Cody, R., Herr-Stephenson, B., et al. (2010). Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out: Kids living and learning with new media. Annals of Physics. Cambridge, London: MIT Press. Jia, J. (2012). Educational Stages and Interactive Learning: From Kindergarten to Workplace Training. IGI Global. Levy, R. (2009). You have to understand words...but not read them: Young children becoming readers in a digital age, Journal of research in reading, 32(1), 75-91. Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., and Gorzig, A. (2012). Children, risk and safety online: Research and policy challenges in comparative perspective. Bristol: Policy Press. Loveless, D. J. (2013). Academic Knowledge Construction and Multimodal Curriculum Development. IGI Global. Mavers, D. (2007). Investigating how children make meaning in multimodal maps." Reflecting Education: Fascinating cultural artefacts: multimodal (concept) mapping in teaching and learning: www.reflectingeducation.net/index.php/reflecting 3(November): pp. 24-28. McTavish, M. (2009). I get my facts from the internet: A case study of the teaching and learning of information literacy in in-school and out-of-school contexts. Journal of early childhood literacy, 9(1), 3-28. Merchant, G. (2007). Digital writing in the early years'in Leu, D., Coiro, J., Knobel, M. Lankshear, C. The Handbook of Research on New Literacies. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum. Niess, M. L. (2015). Handbook of Research on Teacher Education in the Digital Age. IGI Global. Railean, E. (2015). Psychological and Pedagogical Considerations in Digital Textbook Use and Development. IGI Global.