What is Multimodality?
The terms "multimedia" and "multimodal" often appear to be used interchangeably; though there are some theoretical differences between the two, these differences are more reflective of the users of and audience for them than anything else. In her article "Contending with Terms: "Multimodal" and "Multimedia" in the Academic and Public Spheres," Claire Lauer explains, "While 'multimedia' is used more frequently in public/industry contexts, 'multimodal' is preferred in the field of composition and rhetoric" (225). She continues, "Each term is associated with certain stages of the continuum along which a text evolves from design/process to production/distribution. There is a greater emphasis on design and process in the classroom, which makes the term multimodal more suitable in that context" (226).
One of the simplest definitions of multimodality comes from Cynthia L. Selfe in Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers: Multimodal texts “exceed the alphabetic and may include still and moving images, animations, color, words, music and sound” (1). In other words, for the composition classroom multimodality encompasses multiple modes of communication instead of privileging only print-based writing. In the drop-down tab "Integrating Multimodality into the Classroom," I discuss the importance of developing a composition course that encourages multiple modes of learning and writing.
One of the simplest definitions of multimodality comes from Cynthia L. Selfe in Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers: Multimodal texts “exceed the alphabetic and may include still and moving images, animations, color, words, music and sound” (1). In other words, for the composition classroom multimodality encompasses multiple modes of communication instead of privileging only print-based writing. In the drop-down tab "Integrating Multimodality into the Classroom," I discuss the importance of developing a composition course that encourages multiple modes of learning and writing.