Investigating 'multi-literacies'

A report by the ACTF (2005 []) recognises how the nature of literacies are changing as young children are being exposed to many different communication channels and different types of multimedia. Young children and school students are engaging with a diverse range of multimedia material from a very young age. With an exposure to both convergent and media-rich technology like DVD players, youtube, mobile phones, MP3 players and ipods and social networking media like Myspace and Facebook.

A study by the 'New London Group,' entitled, A pedagogy of muliliteracies: Designign Social Futures (cited in the ACTF report 2005 []) explains that: “multiplicity of communications channels and increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in the world today calls for a much broader view of literacy than portrayed by traditional language based approaches”.

Globalisation, access to multimedia, and the, 'increasing cultural and linguistic diversity,' of literacy is reshaping the traditional literacies of the modern student. The way that children are educated in multi-literacy skills (such a computer use, multimedia use and analysis etc) has the potential to reshape how the will connect and engage with the media and literacies of the future.

The reinforcement of these multi-literacy skills through software like Kahootz has the potential to equip young children with the media literacies to create their own media and become their own storytellers in the future. In our interview with Peter Maggs (the Head of New media and Head strategist for Kahootz at the ACTF) (see Interview with Peter Maggs: Head Strategist of Kahootz) emphasizes the importance of the role of the educator in the reshaping of the media literacies of young children. A curriculum that is based on the teaching of 'multi-literacies,' to students (in comparison to the traditional focus of reading and writing literacies) is essential in the enabling of children to engage with a multiplicity of media across a diverse range of platforms in the future and to ultimately become their own media creators.

LINKS

 * (back Investigation and Research (Section 1))
 * Interview with Peter Maggs: Head Strategist of Kahootz)
 * (AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN'S TELEVISION FOUNDATION'S SUBMISSION TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TRAINING NATIONAL INQUIRY INTO THE TEACHING OF LITERACY 31 MARCH 2005 [])