Why does it matter?

Kerry's Reflection

"Multimodal analysis has no one discipline, theoretical tradition, or academic style that can claim ownership of this enterprise" (O'Halloran and Smith, 2011, p. 2).

The above statement stuck in my mind as I traveled abroad to Athens, Greece. I did not realize at the beginning of this experience that I would utilize the information learned about multimodal analysis. Yet, as we talked to university professors, primary school teachers, and school administrators, there was a plethora of information (data) presented as we analyzed the education system in Greece.

A vital characteristic of multimodal analysis is the ability to analyze meaning making through social interactions and data (documents, texts, etc.). This concept is fascinating to me. The concept of being able to analyze data and include the social context in order to produce and understand meaning is powerful. As a life-long learner, I feel empowered by multimodal analysis to move beyond the basic analysis of a data set. Many resources focused on the need to go deeper into the data to understand how individuals make meaning while creating something - a film, a narrative, a picture, etc.

Multimodal analysis seeks to develop ideas and concepts to indicate how meaning is acquired from positions held within historical sequences of events (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 2006).

Interestingly enough, historical sequences of events have truly shaped the education system in Greece. From Aristotle to Greek mythology, to the student protests at Athens Polytechnic, the historical sequences of events have shaped how children make meaning in their education. Documents, street art, observations, images, text, and film combined to showcase the evolution of education in Greece.

Renée's Reflection

When I think of learning, I think about all the various ways in which I learn and can learn from others. Multimodal Analysis extends the possibilities of learning about the same topic into different dimensions.

I enjoyed learning about this method of analysis because it reflects how I want to go about investigating my research interests and involves my preferred means of presenting information.

The flexibility of multimodal analysis is an advantage when considering education technology research in digital worlds, including 3D spaces, Virtual Reality, and Artificial Intelligence.