Sylvana Sofkova Hashemi

Design and redesign of a multimodal classroom task : implications for teaching and learning

Digital technologies are increasingly implemented in Swedish schools, which impact on education in the contemporary classroom. Screen-based practice opens up for new forms and multiplicity of representations, taking into account that language in a globalized society is more than reading and writing skills. This paper presents a case study of technology-mediated instruction at the primary-school level including an analysis of the designed task and how the teacher orchestrated the digital resources during three introductory classes. The aim was also to explore the pupils’ redesigning of advertising films based on teacher’s instructions and available digital resources. Sequences of a learning trajectory were video recorded and analysed from a multimodal perspective with a focus on the designed task and the processes of how pupils orchestrate meaning through their selection and configuration of available designs. The findings show a distinction between the selection of design elements in the teacher’s orchestration of the laptop resources during instruction and the pupils’ redesigning of the task. Pupils’ work developed from the linguistic design provided by the teacher towards visual design and the use of images as the central mode of expression in the process of creating advertising films. The findings also indicate a lack of orientation towards subject content due to the teacher’s primary focus on introducing the software.

Making Room for the Transformation of Literacy Instruction in the Digital Classroom.

Education is in the process of transforming traditional print-based instruction into digital formats. This multi-case study sheds light on the challenge of coping with the old and new in literacy teaching in the context of technology-mediated instruction in the early years of schooling (7–8 years old children). By investigating the relation between literacy and digital technology in diverse pedagogical contexts we capture the complexity in the educational transformation that needs to be acknowledged. Each of the cases demonstrates a distinct knowledge focus and goal for early literacy instruction, organisation and access around technology and what is made visible in instruction. All these factors had consequences for the teaching that occurred. Depending on epistemological beliefs, digital competencies were taught separately from literacy and considered as a goal on its own or integrated with literacy considered as a means and a goal for literacy teaching and learning. Implicit pedagogy with weaker classification and framing enabled conditions for infused approaches making use of digital technology in multimodal, functional and learner centred literacy practices. Furthermore, initial guidance and the weaving of invisible and visible pedagogy highlight a possible way to both exploit the potential of digital technology and support children from various backgrounds. The balance of teacher and student control was further affected in regard to the organisation of technology and choices of pedagogical methods. This research hereby expands the current discussion on the relation between technology and literacy with an understanding that the epistemological focus and context of practices are necessary tools to problematize, rather than measure or value, emerging practices in early literacy instruction. We conclude that in addition to the necessary heavy investments in digital technology in schools there is a need to provide room for action for the teachers and address issues of purpose, pedagogy and organisation around technology.

Chapter 4: Learning to Write in the Information Age: A Case Study of Schoolchildren’s Writing in Sweden

This chapter aims to investigate written language by school children in different writing settings and the effects of the use of computers and other channels of communication, such as web chat and text messaging via mobile phones. It is followed by a section in which writing activities, undertaken at school as well as during these childrens leisure time, are discussed. The chapter also gives an initial analysis of the data, which have been collected, and then the writing programs and writing aids that the pupils utilize with the purpose of demonstrating how these could be modified to give better support to children and adolescents and their writing needs are briefly described. It sheds light on how writing aids can be improved to enhance writing development and instruction in school and to make them more suitable to the writing situation in which they are applied. Keywords: adolescents; computers; leisure time; mobile phones; school children; writing development; written language

Investigating Mobile Technology Resources for Integration: The Technology-Pedagogy-Language-Culture (TPLC) Model

Acquiring language and culture of the host society are essential prerequisites for integration. As many migrants have smartphones, they can be used for integration purposes. In this study, mobile applications (apps) for Swedish language training, information about host society and contacts with locals targeted at newly arrived Arabic migrants are analysed. With focus on language and cultural training we developed a model for evaluation that takes into account both Technological, Pedagogical, Linguistic and Cultural aspects. The TPLC-model for evaluation shows that language training as well as translation and vocabulary apps dominate the Swedish market, while societal information is largely absent. Most of the analysed apps are technically reliable, free of charge and available for Android or both Android and iOS. However, in regard to the pedagogical aspects, the apps demonstrate a focus on traditional pedagogical approaches with basic vocabulary training and similar, while more active learning and pronunciation and speaking activities are less common. The latter can, together with expansion of intercultural communication, be areas for further development in mobile learning for integration purposes.

Socio-semiotic patterns in digital meaning-making: semiotic choice as indicator of communicative experience

ABSTRACT Access to digital technology in the classroom enables the composition and organization of ideas on screen with a variety of semiotic systems of different modes and media. This study explores patterns of communication and preference of design in digital meaning-making of twelve 7–8 years old students. Meanings were shaped in complex uses and combinations of modes and media engaging the students in negotiation of meanings where both affordances of technology, semiotic resources in the class as well as the students prior language and cultural experiences had impact on their choices and designing of texts on screen. The opportunity to make own choices of designs revealed their designing strategies with a predominant focus on writing as the mode of dissemination and examples of semiotic work with preference to visual resources, demonstrating students’ communicative experiences. Categorizing the selection of modes and applying semiotic grammar made the means the students used to communicate meaning evident and visible, providing the meta-tools needed to understand the semiotic work of students in a broader and informed accounts for the multimodal and digital meaning-making they demonstrate – a valuable insight in regard to literacy pedagogy.

Digital competence and digital literacy in higher education research: Systematic review of concept use

Abstract Digital competence and digital literacy are concepts that are increasingly used in public discourse. However, how the concepts are used and how they are defined remains unclear. This paper presents a systematic review of research where these concepts are used in higher education research. The aim is to establish an understanding of referencing strategy to digital literacy and digital competence over time, disciplines, countries, methods and level of analysis. Three databases were used in the systematic literature review: Web of Science, Scopus and Education Resources Information Centre. We delimited the search to title, abstract and keywords in the databases. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed publications written in English. Initially 107 publications between 1997 and 2017 were found, with 28 addressing digital competence and 79 digital literacy. Our review demonstrates that there is a range of definitions used in higher education research. They vary depending on if the concepts are defined by policy, research or both and whether they focus on technical skills or social practices. This review indicates directions for further research in higher education i) do more research based on critical perspectives to avoid commonsensical use of the concepts, ii) take the development of definitions of these concepts seriously iii) avoid cross-referencing incompatibilities and finally iv) engage in critical investigations regarding the legitimacy of policy over research in the domain of higher education research.