Multiliteracies for Collaborative Learning Environments

Event Cycle 2 - Archive for 2004

What is multiliteracy?

Links on What is Multiliteracy?
These responses were developed by the participants in 2004.

Norbella Miranda's RECAP OF EVENT CYCLE: MULTILITERACIES (annotated by Vance)

Just for fun, Vance has put the code below in a Bloke blog window: http://vstevens.bloki.com
I just copied the code below (from a View / Source Notepad window) and pasted it into Bloki to get the HTML to display there. Unfortunately, Bloki no longer accepts new registrants :-(

Mark Algren: I read at "Defining Literacy in the Age of Information: Implications for the ESL Classroom," by Loretta F. Kasper, a teacher at Kingsborough Community College/City University of New York. The article appears to be a paper she presented at TCC '99 (most likely the annual online Teaching in the Community Colleges conference): http://members.aol.com/Drlfk/TCC99.html..

Loretta describes how she uses the notional of multiliteracies in her ESL classes to prepare her students for college life in the USA as well as for professional life in the 21st century - the age of digital information. Students need to have not only functional skills in manipulating a computer and applications (keyboard, Internet search, typing/word processing), but critical reading and assessment skills in order to achieve literacy in an age of electronic information. A citation from her introduction on the definition of multiliteracies:

The New London Group (1996) uses the term "multiliteracies" to describe this broader set of literacies, and holds that today's definition of literacy must take into account the nature of communication that takes place through the growing "variety of text forms associated with information and multimedia technologies."

Marianne Anderson: I think I feel that a narrow interpretation of being multi-literate is the ability to communicate ideas through more than one text-based medium - page, computer screen, cell phone screen, etc. By keeping the definition narrow, we can focus on the degree of literacy as being the degree to which one can communicate well through these media.

I believe there are many levels of Multiliteracy. ...

To be able to converse comfortably in regards to technology (i.e. software, technology devices/tools.
To be able to function adequately in an IT environment. Hence, being able to resolve every day problems/issues that arise in an IT environment.
Being able to retrieve whatever we are looking for through the use of IT, or accomplish various tasks associated with IT (i.e. communication, data, research etc.)
Being able to function in this new E-World as responsible, respectful, open minded human beings and therefore being able to adapt quickly and intelligently to the social issues that this new environment has created.
To be able to formulate an opinion on how the various facets of our IT environment (hardware/software/e-education etc.) plays an important role (or not ) within our society.

Nancy Berry: I think I have more questions than answers. I've always thought of literacy (and being literate) as the ability to read and write, specifically, textbased sources. However, we also talk about being geographically literate or computer literate, but these literacies do not necessarily reflect reading and writing ability. So, one question I have is whether we are talking about literacy as a tool through which we can learn or as the ability to read and write. I think there is a distinction.

It is quite obvious that in today's world being able to use computers, software and all the devices associated with technology is necessary if you want to function successfully in the world of work or education. However, it seems to me that having computer skills does not necessarily mean that you have a high degree of literacy (the ability to read and write). Therefore, I 'm a little uncomfortable with the term multiliteracies because it seems to put the ability to read and write and the ability to use computers and associated technology on an equal basis, and I'm not sure I agree with that.

Maryanne Burgos: I read "What Counts as Literacy Today" by Marcia Pally, a paper presented at the American Association for Applied Linguistics: in March of 2000. It can be accessed at http://www.marciapally.com/aaal.html

She says that " a key part of being multiliterate is being able to 'read' the new information that comes from the screen-from Nintendo to movies to CNN.com. A key part of modern education would be to guide students to screen-based literacy." The main thesis of her talk, however, was that to be literate means to be able to be able to apply analytical and critical thinking skills to incoming information. My interpretation of her meaning is that to be multiliterate would imply the ability to to apply analytical and critical thinking skills to information from multiple sources ranging from text to screen. In order to do so, one has to learn how to manipulate the mechanical aspects of new screen technologies and how to critically analyze the information presented there.

Mary Jane Danan: I finally read through some references I had "googled"earlier on multiliteracies, I discovered yet a new spin on the term/concept in an article by Leslie Rush, an associate prof. of English Education at the University of Wyoming. I thought others might find it intriguing also. She delves into ecological literacy and environmental literacy (!) through a case study of hikers on the Appalachian Trial.

http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=rush/index.html

Just when I was getting comfortable with the idea of multilitercy in terms of interacting in the online world, and all the multitasking that can involve, I came across this article. It got me thinking of literacy and multiliteracies in yet another new way! The author takes literacy to the natural world and examines how hikers on the Appalachian trial "read" their environment and "write" which involves no print text. Then she also looks at their use of reading and writing on the trail in the more traditional sense which involves print.

I was fascinated by how she analyzed the ways the hikers "read" and "wrote" in their environment involving multiliteracies (reading a map, reading a trail, leaving a marker or sign which was not in print, etc.). In addition, she looked at the ways the same hikers made use of the more traditional literacies (carried books along to read and leave behind for others, and notes left for others, etc.).

I now realize that multiliteracy is even more broad than I had imagined. It makes the concept even more exciting in my opinion as it opens up so many new ways of looking at reading and writing and forms of communication.

Vance's reaction: Very interesting, and an enjoyable read. There is a slight parallel between the author's style of collecting anecdotal material and the way I started an article in a recent Essential Teacher: http://www.homestead.com/prosites-vstevens/files/efi/papers/tesol/et/technoservice.htm . In my article, much less comprehensive than the one about the Appalachian Trail, I talk about community formation in the professional development context but barely touch on the concept of Communities of Practice, which I've developed more extensively in my writings elsewhere. I liked the author's take on multiliteracies, using more basic technologies (e.g. map reading during white-outs) than we are dealing with in this course. Also, the article develops a framework for articulating literacies besides print ones, with at least one major diffference apart from our topic. This is a record of how people cope when deprived of their normal avenues of 'reading' and 'writing' (or interpreting surroundings and articulating them). Multiliteracies in a technical sense is on the other hand a way of the future, learning means of interpretation and articulation that are likely to be more widespread in the near future rather than being applicable to particular situations. This article does give insights into how people might cope with this development. A great find!

Philips Duryee: As I have read through some of the links, I also hit on this perspective on multiliteracy and its benefits to the world of education. This course itself seems to speak of the process he defines.

V.Singhirei. "Multiliteracy is the Challenge of Education". Theses on reports at III international symposium on advantages and disadvantages of economical reform. - Chisinau: College of International Economical Relations, 2002. www.iatp.md/multimedia/docs/multi_liter.doc

"Sharing experience and academic and cultural expertise with colleagues from foreign countries is absolutely necessary today because education acquires a globalization character thanks to the free educational Web sites in various spheres of science, free online courses, electronical journals, E-learning circles or centers, and Internet projects. Internet Projects are important teaching and learning techniques not only for on campus learning but for Distance learning that will provide new perspectives for partnership between universities beyond boundaries."

Susan Gaer: I read the article Multiliteracy is the Challenge of Education by Valentina M. Singhirei of Moldova State University

Singhirei discusses different kinds of literacy. There is cognitive and socio-cultural skills, functional literacy, academic literacy, critical literacy and electronic literacy which includes understanding hypermedia and online collaboration. Singhirei focuses on Internet Projects and their collaborative nature for problem solving, information sharing and communication activities that help learners learn authentic skills. One question I have is what is the interactionist form of language learning. The author talks about interactionist learning and content based learning.

I have never heard the term interactionist used before. I tend to think that using Internet projects is "constructivist". That means learners help to construct their own learning rather having that learning imposed upon them by a teacher. I am not sure what "interactionist means. Does anyone have any ideas? (Mark replied, put it here)

So I guess the question is, What is multiliteracy? To me it means not just print literacy but media literacy, computer literacy, search skills literacy and the ability to interact collaboratively and effectively in an online environment So the big questions is how does this affect learning and specifically second language learning?

Keiko Inouye: (1) I look into various dictionaries, both English English and bilingual, but I couldn't find the definition. So, I did a google and could find one site which mentions the term "multiliteracies". The following is its URL.

http://2003.humanitiesconference.com/ProposalSystem/Presentations/P000450

It is the site of Humanities Conference. The title of the presentaiton is "ESL Academic Writing On-line: Using Multiliterate Approaches for Writing Improvement and Sociocultural Development" by Dr. Valia Spiliotopoulos. It says that students should be multitliterate and by being multiliterate, "students can understand many modes of text from a variety of communication and information networks.

(2) I thought multiliteracy meant the ability to use various new technological tools, but now I am a little confused. As Downes says, we need a new vocabulary and new language to become multiliterate.

Staci Johnson: After reading this article (http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/labbo/), I found a definition of multiliteracy that made a lot of sense to me.

Multiliterate people include those who can:

Use technological tools to read and write various symbolic forms of information (e.g., print, graphics, photographs, video, sound effects, music) as they are displayed digitally on computer screens, not just on paper pages,
Critically and strategically manage and assemble knowledge from various digital online databases,
Use their expertise to work collaboratively in flexible online teams that are formed to solve specific problems, and
Represent a synthesis of knowledge about a topic in informative and persuasive ways with technological tools (Labbo, in press)

Lilia Joy: Here is a definition of multiliteracy that I found on the web:

http://intel.si.umich.edu/news/news-detail.cfm?NewsItemID=136

Multimedia literacy includes "nontext writing," such as new approaches to learning that place production technology in the hands of the learner. This makes various forms of technology an instrumental part of the learning process. "We really mean literacy that incorporates text, images, and sound and recognizes the importance of interactivity and nonlinear skills," Daley says.

Vance's introduction and my search for multiliteracy articles made me wonder if my ESL students are learning as much as or the same way as they would in traditional setting. I'll explain why. In my current ESL Lab, we use an electronic textbook (more of a grammar manual I would say), so my students have to read the explanations on the screen, then complete activities with built-in keys. What I would like to know is if this type of visual presentation and interactivity with the computer makes learning more effective or not. What I have noticed so far is that the students skim through the rule explanation as fast as they can (if pay any attention at all) and move on to the activities. With this type of activities, however, they seem more involved than with the exercises they have to complete in their workbook.

I found a couple articles that may answer my questions (I just need to find full texts..:))

http://activated.decs.act.gov.au/reading/curr_jour_hotlists_multiliteracies.htm
Zammit, K; Downes,T
New learning environments and the multiliterate individual : a framework for educators.
Australian Journal of Language and Literacy v.25 n.2 p.24-36 June 2002

Being literate in today's society and in the future is more than just being able to read and write the written word. With advances in technology and the inclusion of technology in educational settings students are reading and viewing an increasingly complex and diverse range of multimodal texts. Literacy and learning in these new environments requires students to be multiliterate. This paper presents a curriculum framework for new learning environments to assist teachers to develop pedagogical practices for the multiliterate student, the case for the use of metalanguages in the implementation of this framework, and an example of the use of the curriculum framework with a year 6 class.

Zammit,K The literacy demands of visual text : working with new learning environments. Scan v.19 n.3 p.10-14 August 2000 This article discusses the teaching and learning of literacy in electronic and digital environments. The needs of students who are using electronic learning environments to create their own text by piecing together parts of relevant information they have collected, being able to evaluate and critically read texts they find and the ability to work in an environment where links to texts and hot linked words are commonplace are issues discussed in the context of visual literacy. The use of the Internet to collect information and the use of graphics on web pages which compound literacy issues with students tending not to read deeply each part of the page, are issues discussed. The author argues that the best way for students to become visually literate in the new medium is through a program of work. The article includes a description of what a visual literacy program might include.

Graciela Martin: As a result of globalization, we are faced with cultural and linguistic diversity, and also with advances in communication technologies. Being "multi-literate" means not only being literate in the use of these technologies, but also being adaptable to change.

Using existing technologies, adopting new ones, and adapting oneself to change in culture, language and technology increases one's reach both as an educator and as a student.

Norbella Miranda: "In light of changing economic and social realities ( Castell, 1996, 1997a, 1997b; Reich,1991) academic textual literacy has become one of many literacies that Canadians need in order to function in a global economy. The multiliteracies that have become increasingly important in our technologically-evolving, globalized economy include information, communication and media technology, as well as culturally specific literacies required to function in a culturally diverse pluralistic society (New London Group, 1996). "

Source: http://www.pkp.ubc.ca/multiliteracies/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2

What I understand of being multiliterate is being able not only to read textual messages, but also be competent in interpreting symbols and images, and in using multimedia and other technological tools, such as the internet, all of which allow us construct meaning, learn and interact with others. Being multiliterate also embraces understanding multiculturalism and showing respect to diversity, which reflects in effective interaction. Although the concept of multiliteracies expands the vision of knowledge, it might perhaps as well increase the gap of those who have access to the different "literacy means" and those who don't. Our positions, yours, being able to read this post online, and mine, being able to write and publish it, is indeed different from many others' , who are struggling to have an opportunity to learn to read and write in paper.

Ana Nazarenko: It's been said that "speech makes us human and literacy makes us civilized" (Olson, D. R. (1988). The term multiliteracies refers to literacies that extend beyond print-based, alphabetic texts. http://www.coe.uga.edu/reading/faculty/alvermann/multilit.pdf

A multiliterate person should be able not only to read texts, but also to use devices, software, and to be competent in IT environment.

Rae Roberts: I have read the other postings as well as several of the articles listed and have expanded by view of literacy. I too have thought of it more as a reading, writing skill but of course it must reach beyond that scope. Cultural literacy is an area that is the most difficult for most students and impacts their comprehension in their receptive skills of reading and listening and impacts their comprehensibility in the areas of writing and speaking (including pragmatics). Technology literacy can be a tool of freedom learning. I feel that access to the internet, still a tool of the more privileged which is mostly all about access. Access to money, equipment, services (electricity etc), others with similar knowledge with whom to grow one's knowledge etc.

Technology literacy is expanding rapidly to the less privileged through free access in libraries, investments by governments etc. For example, the USA is proving billions of dollars to lay cable and install computers in schools in China. The privileged have always had more access to various types of literacy through travel, purchase of foreign goods, eating in restaurants serving foreign cuisine etc. All of this builds literacy that is more available to some but this gap is lessening through the internet.

Barbara Dieu: I believe that to be multiliterate it is important to venture beyond "school" walls (yours being "Desire to Learn" platform), mix with various communities other than language and Tesol to enhance our learning experience and become aware of different perspectives in different fields.

Links:

A long page full of interesting links which may help you in the multiliteracy quest http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/
a recent article and a paper on the theme of multiliteracy recovered from eLearning Resources and News newsletter. The New Literacy http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=47102021
Enabling Distributed Learning Communities Via Emerging Technologies - Part One http://thejournal.com/magazine/vault/articleprintversion.cfm?aid=4963

Vance Stevens: (1) Myron Tuman, whom I've mentioned before, suggests that the world of print dominance is being supplanted by a 'docuverse' of hyperlinked and anotatable documents (this a good decade before Wikipedia! heard of that?) where ownership is less important than the shared and interlinked dimensions of documents, and a cogent argument in print might be less communicative than a well-captioned video + graphic presentation. He suggests that print is on the verge of being supplanted by this new literacy, just as the printing press displaced troubadors and oral traditions of literacy that had come before. It follows that those who master the tools of the new literacies will be the communicators of the future, esp if proponents of print literacy lose their grip on power (through forcing mastery of print media to obtain degrees, jobs, etc).

(2) Being able to use the tools is just one aspect of multiliteracy. That's essentially functional literacy. In Selber's view we'll see that there are also critical and rhetorical literacies. Being literate is, as one participant said, the ability to read and write. What the multiliteracies concept says is that we must be able to communicate in ways that not only use, but describe and critique, both the use and impact of technology.

(3) What is multiliteracy? Multiliteracy seems (to me) to be the ability: -

to understand and discuss what people are talking about regarding the software media and devices associated with technology; -
to develop heuristics to use and troubleshoot problems with these devices, media, and associated software; -
to engage in discourse on these devices, media, and software and their applications and associated topics (or on any topic for that matter) USING sophisticated devices, media, and associated software (appropriately hyperlinked); and -
to be able to understand and critique the social, economic, and political aspects aspects and ramifications of using these devices, media, and associated software

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Multiliteracies for Collaborative Learning Environments

Event Cycle 2 - Archive for 2004

What is multiliteracy?

Last updated: September 18, 2005