Multiliteracies and new and emerging text types

The theory of multiliteracies as proposed by the New London Group.

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What does multiliteracies mean? New London Group (1996) defines multiliteracies as the multiplicity of communications channels and media, and the increasing saliency of cultural and linguistic diversity (p 63.).  I interpret this to mean that literacy is no longer merely text and that due to changing technologies we make meaning from text in many different ways and from many different forms from places around the world, not just locally.

To complement this definition, Anstey and Bull (2006) say that a multiliterate person must therefore be a problem solver and strategic thinker. This means that as a reader or consumer of multimodal texts, we must arm ourselves with the ability to code break to make meaning from these new and ever changing text forms such as websites, blogs, video tutorials to mention but a few.

From a pedagogical point of view, we can use the TPACK framework (Koehler & Mishra, 2006) (see image below) to help teachers bring together the different types of knowledge required to teach in a multimodal environment.  Pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge and technological knowledge are all required and intertwine with each other to form the basis for teaching students multiliteracies in an effective manner.

Further information about TPACK can be found here http://www.tpack.org/.

This video also helps explain TPACK in more layman's terms:

New and emerging types of texts and social practices

The diversity of text types has moved the debate away from one about method to one about exploration of semiotic systems (Anstey & Bull, 2006). 

This video represents only a small percentage of what 

constitutes new and emerging text types.

References

Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Defining multiliteracies. In Teaching and learning multiliteracies:                      changing times, changing literacies (pp. 19-54). Kensington Gardens, SA: Australian Literacy Educators Association.

Freebody, P., & Luke, A. (1990). Literacies programs: Debates and demands in cultural context. Prospect: An Australian Journal of TESOL , 5 (3), 7-16.

Kimmons, R. (2011, March 22). TPACK in 3 minutes. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wGpSaTzW58

Koehler, M., & Mishra, P. (2006). What is TPACK? Retrieved March 2013, from tpack.org: http://www.tpack.org/

New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review , 66 (1), 60-92.

Summerell, D. (2013, March 26). New text types. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYDhJuX5SlI