Embedded Files
How are Modes Interacting?
How are Modes Interacting?
Analysis of interaction among modes uncovers the ways that social interactions unfold in a nonlinear fashion, involving complex and simultaneous coordination. Even in practices where a particular mode dominates, backgrounded modes produce resonances and tensions with the foregrounded mode in ways that complicate seemingly straightforward interactions.
“Instead of viewing social actors as performing one-thing-at-a-time, this framework demonstrates that individuals perform many actions simultaneously by attending to them to different degrees” (Norris, 2006, p. 402).
Mapping the interplay of modes uncovers power relations and social effects that are visible at the level of modes. In this way, modal density explains how relationships among modes reveal differences in how and where we pay attention and how this difference creates social effects.
Seeing Modal Density with Bubble Maps
Seeing Modal Density with Bubble Maps
Spreadsheet programs also now offer more features for visualizing and displaying data. Excel or Google Sheets will produce bubble charts with circles of proportional sizes to reflect numeric relationships. I’ve used this feature to adapt Norris’ modal density to reflect the coding data from video analysis software, so that the bubble chart will automatically generate the relationships among foregrounding, intensity, and complexity. I entered data about the modes I coded for an excerpt from the sequence of cutting instances in Inquiry #10. Using video analysis software and a spreadsheet, I entered tallies for the number of instances observed for each mode and the duration of clips coded for each mode and relative to other modes, whether each mode appeared to be more prominent and foregrounded (from 1.75 to 2) or more automatic and backgrounded (from.5 to 1).
To create a visualization of modal density, highlight the cells in a table in Excel and insert a bubble chart in your spreadsheet. The table above generates this visualization that enables three-way comparisons of the modes that are 1) drawing the child's attention, 2) how often, and 3) how continuously throughout a sequence of activity.
This modal density map illustrates how a kindergartner cutting tape with scissors actively focused on the tape's stickiness (haptic, texture) while singing (music) and talking (speech) to the cartoon character he had drawn (image) on his paper sack puppet. Backgrounded modes contributed to the richness of his design exploration as he could freely stand, sit to try out novel ways of cutting the tape and move around the room to gather extra materials. This was in sharp contrast to the modal density map of a child who active attention was drawn to posture, layout, and speech through frequent teacher reminders to remain seated (posture), to stay within a restricted area (movement), and work silently (speech) in order to "stay on task" behind a makeshift study carrel.
If you'd like to skip the chart formatting steps, you can try out this interactive Google Sheets version using a sample of your own data.. I've created a version with a ready-made chart on Google Sheets where you can copy or download your own Bubble Map Maker. The map will that will automatically update the position and size of the bubbles when you enter your data into the green cells on the chart.
Reference
Norris, S. (2006). Multiparty interaction: A multimodal perspective on relevance. Discourse Studies, 8(3), 401–421.
Norris, S. (2006). Multiparty interaction: A multimodal perspective on relevance. Discourse Studies, 8(3), 401–421.
Page updated
Report abuse