PhoebeWallace20819781-Assessment 1 EDC121

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Curtin University *

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Communications

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Jan 9, 2024

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Assessment 1 – EDC121 Short Essay 1 – The term ‘multiliteracies’ is preferred by some educationalists over the term ‘literacy.’ Explain what ‘multiliteracies’ means and how this differs from traditional ideas of literacy. The Multiliteracy Pedagogy in Education Multiliteracies is a term that describes the pedagogy which encourages engaging in multiple learning methods to teach, learn and communicate. This term encompasses a wider view of literacy which considers the impacts of the prominence of cultural and linguistic diversity in our world and equips students with a comprehensive knowledge of a multitude of areas. The theory of multiliteracies was developed by the New London Group (NLG) in 1994, based on how they viewed technology to be changing our society, and furthermore how technology advancements and globalisation was affecting our education system. The multiliteracies pedagogy differs from teaching traditional literacy as it focusses on using multimodal tools for teaching and includes a variety of perspectives, resulting in diverse representation and educational approaches (The New London Group, 1996). Literacy has traditionally meant “the ability to read and write; a synthesis of language, context and thinking that shapes meaning” (Winch et al., 2020 p. 697). Traditional literacy involves the skills of reading and writing, and the ability to use language as a means of communication, this approach to literacy education follows a very linear pattern which contrasts greatly with the multi-faceted and diverse approach of the multiliteracy pedagogy. Using the multiliteracies approach in a classroom allows educators the creativity in the classroom to deliver information through varied mediums, such as movies, the internet, music, art and photos, mediums which are not included in traditional literacy education. In multiliteracy learning, students are able to acquire a multitude of competencies in different areas, additionally they are able to acquire a variety of character and attitude competencies in the process. Educating within the multiliteracies pedagogy opens the door to the capability of critical thinking, deep knowledge, collaboration and communication and creative thinking (AIP Conference Proceedings 2194, 020111 (2019). As a result of these competencies being 1

taught, comprehension reading skills, writing skills, speaking skills and various skills in digital media modes are improved in a student. Contrasting, the literacy pedagogy covers reading and writing, and can be seen as an arguably outdated method considering the extent of technological advances, and the cultural and linguistic diversity that is present in a modern classroom (The New London Group, 1996). The inclusion of the alternate mediums that the multiliteracies pedagogy allows for in educating is incredibly important to create a well-rounded educational experience for the student. The term ‘multiliteracies’, and the teaching pedagogy that is the theory of multiliteracies, is often preferred by some teachers, as it allows for comprehensive growth and diversity in the educational environment. 2

Short Essay 2 – Identify why a student may benefit from being taught in a such a way in classrooms. In your response, consider how this may support students from different language and social class backgrounds. Multiliteracies Creates a Diverse Learning Approach The theory of multiliteracies encourages the engagement in multiple literacy methods to both learn and communicate. This approach enables an educator to be culturally sensitive and diverse in their teaching, and in turn helps all students to feel included in the classroom, subsequently giving the best opportunity to learn for all. In the classroom, it is of the utmost importance to account for those who are culturally diverse and create an inclusive learning environment for those who do not learn best through traditional literacy means. The scope of literacy must accommodate for the increasingly linguistically diverse and globalised societies, for the myriad of cultures that interrelate and finally, for the surplus of texts that flow through society (The New London Group, 1996), this need for diverse learning and teaching methods lends itself to the multiliteracy pedagogy. It is argued that the literacy pedagogy now must cover the expanding variety of texts associated with information and multimedia technologies (The New London Group, 1996). It is the responsibility of teachers to ensure that any differences in language, gender and culture are not handicaps to educational success. The multiliteracies pedagogy ensures that all materials can be used in the classroom to ensure appropriate education for any students in these marginalised groups to achieve the same educational success as any other non-marginalised group. The traditional scope of literacy provides a linear view of literacy education, but this linear view does not always extend itself to being inclusive of these marginalised groups and can somewhat inhibit the creation of an inclusive classroom, therefore students in these groups would benefit from the implementation of the theory of multiliteracies in the classroom. The use of the internet falls into the framework of the theory of multiliteracies, which opens a whole world of possibilities for those students who come from a different language background. Through using the internet in the classroom when educating, we allow students the possibility to sort through information, perhaps in a first language, to aid in the understanding of a topic or area of study. Through using this medium of education, educators 3

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