Assignment1.1: Description of essay

What is it about?

The visual essay will explore pedagogic design using new technologies. It will explore three themes that are central to arguments about the technologisation of the school curriculum:
• Multimodality (in particular the relationship between image and writing).
• Pace (speed, momentum, turbulence, smoothness and disconnection)
• Interactivity

What purpose does it have?

To see how best to make the arguments and explore the concepts of multimodality visually, dynamically
To contribute to some kind of development of ‘principles of design’ of new media pedagogic texts, by ‘mapping’ the semiotic resources, principles – constraints and possibilities of ‘multimodality’, ‘pace’ and ‘interactivity’.
To get at the relationship between pedagogy and technology
To get at the relationship between text and text realization in the classroom

Where is it seen?

It will be linked to my www and the programming blog and if it works I could submit it to an online journal?

Who will see it?

People interested in multimodality - mainly researchers, maybe teacher educators? An initial step towards design principles.

What kind of content does it contain?

I am not sure whether or not to play around with these ideas in a quite abstract way, or if it is possible to do so? Or whether it is perhaps better to explore these themes in a specific context? If so, will focus on the use of a range of technologies in use in the science classroom including ‘traditional’ technologies (e.g. pen and paper, microscope, models and so on) and ‘new’ technologies (e.g. computer applications, interactive whiteboards). Drawing on examples of classroom interaction mediated by technologies…

If the later, screen grabs and video clips of applications in use – ‘annotation’ of the semiotic analysis of these applications – and the breakdown and reconfiguration of these – kind of alternative designs – of multimodal resources, pace and interactivity – towards typologies (?) continuum, general principles

What kind of interaction does it support?

Um er, not sure – maybe different reading paths through the structure
Maybe in showing how relations between modes make meaning – some kind of place where can play around with possible relations between elements in which can reconfigure them and explore the kinds of classifications/typologies of relations that I am exploring in the visual essay?

Other things that come to mind?

Appendix I: A reflexive epilog on the constraints and possibilities of the technology and how these shaped the way in which the essay was realized in its final form.
Appendix II:Tracking my ‘language’ learning: a glossary of terms and definitions learnt through process