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Making the multimodal argument : emergent strategies for a new rhetoric of multimedia
Abstract
Any progressive curriculum needs to take into account the growth of digital technology and multimedia expression. As such, this research explores the possibility of composing an argument in a digital and multimodal form. The issues surrounding globalisation practices are examined within a General Paper classroom through the use of the pedagogy of multiliteracies framework as established by the New London Group (1996) to enable students to work through a design process based on situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing and transformed practice (New London Group, 1996). Involving the theories of multimodal social semiotics (Stein, 2007) and attention economy rules (Lanham, 2006), this new literacies project examines the possible use of semiotic resources within rhetorical concerns to form a communicative ensemble engaging in multimodal argumentation. Through the belief that the critical engagement in meaningful and therapeutic projects engenders the advancement of notions of democracy and social justice, this research also seeks to investigate elements of criticality that may inform on educational and pedagogical practices for the language classroom.
Through a qualitative research framework that involved the analysis of a digital artefact, interviews and reflection worksheets, the research indicated possible affordances in advancing multimodal expression and democratic ideals. One area might be the cultivation of orchestrated multimodal thinking bearing evidence of “multimodal synaesthesia” (Kress, 2003). There are grounds to suggest that through design, there might be the possibility to develop cognitive capabilities to not only think in multimodal terms, but to do so rhetorically. Another area might be to cultivate new multimodal rhetorical features that employ elements of topology, emotion and non- hegemonic communication. In terms of democratic ideals and social justice, aspects of digital argumentation can be harnessed as new available designs to examine strands of discourse to discern between multiple points of views and to provide for further platforms for political questioning and scrutiny. This research also recognises areas of concerns in terms of “ambivalence and confusion” (Haas, 1999) over new technological use. Finally, in asserting digital compositions like multimodal argumentation to be legitimate and feasible forms of expression, there is thus the call to develop assessment rubrics for multimodality in classroom application.
Through a qualitative research framework that involved the analysis of a digital artefact, interviews and reflection worksheets, the research indicated possible affordances in advancing multimodal expression and democratic ideals. One area might be the cultivation of orchestrated multimodal thinking bearing evidence of “multimodal synaesthesia” (Kress, 2003). There are grounds to suggest that through design, there might be the possibility to develop cognitive capabilities to not only think in multimodal terms, but to do so rhetorically. Another area might be to cultivate new multimodal rhetorical features that employ elements of topology, emotion and non- hegemonic communication. In terms of democratic ideals and social justice, aspects of digital argumentation can be harnessed as new available designs to examine strands of discourse to discern between multiple points of views and to provide for further platforms for political questioning and scrutiny. This research also recognises areas of concerns in terms of “ambivalence and confusion” (Haas, 1999) over new technological use. Finally, in asserting digital compositions like multimodal argumentation to be legitimate and feasible forms of expression, there is thus the call to develop assessment rubrics for multimodality in classroom application.
Date Issued
2011
Call Number
P99.4.M6 Per
Date Submitted
2011