What is Multimodality?
Introduction
Using multiple methods to communicate your message is a must. Everyone learns and absorbs information in different ways, so providing your readers with a variety of methods to consume, they can choose what work best for them.
What's on this page?
What is multimodal and multimedia?
Multimodal is using multiple modes of communication. Our world is multimodal, we communicate through sight, sound, gestures, language, text and more.
Using multiple modes is the most effective way to communicate. It is important to use multimodality to communicate a message because it allows the user to understand the message in a way that is familiar. We experience elements of this in our everyday lives, so it makes sense that we utilize it when we are trying to convey a message, sell a product, or present an idea.
For example, a video can be aural (hearing) and visual. This can be further split into language, text, imagery, background music and more. This tutorial is multimodal. You'll find a variety of text, videos and images, of which are also multimedia.
Using Multiple Modes to Communicate
Watch
How can digital media help you communicate your message? In this short video, learn about methods of communication, and different mediums and modes you can use to accomplish your goal.
Modes of communication
Visual
Colour, layout, style, size, perspective
Spatial
Arrangement, organization, proximity between people and objects
Gestural
Facial expressions, hand gestures, body language, interactions between people
Aural
Music; sound effects; ambient noise/sounds; silence; tone; emphasis and accent of voice in spoken language; volume of sound
Linguistic
Word choice; delivery of spoken/written text (tone); organization in sentences, paragraphs; coherence of individual words and ideas
Elements of multimedia to you can use to communicate include:
Websites, blogs
Infographics, posters
Animations, slideshows, presentations
Video creation, video essays, photo essays
Eportfolios
Take a look at some of the ways you can combine modes and media in the infographic below.
Why use Multimodality?
Multimodality is a term that signifies using many different “modes” to make meaning. So whereas “multimedia” focuses more on the technology and tools we use, “multimodal” focuses a bit more on the meaning we are trying to make via different methods of multimedia (Vaughan, 1993).
Websites can act as a great landing page or space to share your multimedia and storytell in a variety of ways. Making websites one of the best sources for communicating your message because you have the ability to use a multitude of modes.
The University of Illinois Springfield states that multimodal projects:
Promote more interactivity
Portrays information in multiple ways
Adapts projects to befit different audiences
Keeps focus better since more senses are being used to process information
Allows for more flexibility and creativity to present information
Additional Sources
- Multimodality: A guide for linguists by Jeff Bezemer & Carey Jewitt
- Multimedia: Making It Work by Tay Vaughan