Literacy is an invaluable asset to have, and has allowed for communication,
documentation and the spreading of ideas since the beginning of the written language.
With technological advancements, and new possibilities to communicate, it is important
to question the degree to which people’s abilities to utilise these new methods have
developed in relation to these emerging technologies. The purpose of this bachelor’s
thesis is to analyse the state of students’ at Dalarna University mulitimodal literacy, as
well as their experience of multimodality in their education. This has led to the two
main research questions: What is the state of the students at Dalarna University
multimodal literacy? And: How have the students at Dalarna University
experienced multimodality in education?
The paper is based on a mixed-method study that incorporates both a quantitative and
qualitative aspect to it. The main thrust of the research paper is, however, based on a
quantitative study that was conducted online and emailed to students via their program
coordinators. The scope of the research is in audio-visual modes, i.e. audio, video and
images, while textual literacy is presumed and serves as an inspiration to the study. The
purpose of the study is to analyse the state of the students’ multimodal literacy and their
experience of multimodality in education.
The study revealed that the students at Dalarna University have most skill in image
editing, while not being very literate in audio or video editing. The students seem to
have had mediocre experience creating meaning through multimodality both in private
use and in their respective educational institutions. The study also reveals that students
prefer learning by means of video (rather than text or audio), yet are not able to create
meaning (communicate) through it.
2015.
Multimodal literacy, audio-visual, video, audio, images, text, multimodal, Dalarna