VIRTUAL: Learning. Life. Work.
Abstract
In this paper, we will explore some of the challenges that emanate from the contemporary ‘hybridities’ of University teaching and learning across disciplinary fields of study and the associated blurring of boundaries that characterises pedagogical practices in Higher Education. Our perspective will be framed by multimodality, a social semiotic theory of communication, which attends to the multiplicity of culturally shaped and purposefully orchestrated resources or modes whereby learners construct and convey their understandings to fulfil socially shaped goals (Kress, 2010). Applying key multimodal concepts, we will draw on some illustrative examples of our project exploring an interdisciplinary research methods module and the innovative methodologies students deployed in producing their coursework digitally and collaboratively. Our paper will delve into some of the key issues that emerged in regard to the challenges and possibilities that were afforded for learning not least due to the new forms of distance learning assessments and the changing genres of knowledge in academia (Sidiropoulou et al, 2021). Student assignments require increasingly complex multimodal competencies and Higher Education needs to equip students with these skills and support their successful, fulfilling journeys in academic and professional sites (Archer and Breuer, 2016). In exploring these issues, we will ask how might a theory of multimodal communication shed light on the intricate ever-changing landscape of learning and teaching in University contexts.
Archer, A. and Breuer, E. (2016) Multimodality in Higher Education. Boston: Brill.
Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. London: Routledge.
Sidiropoulou, C., Christodoulidou, P. and Topalidis, G. (2021) Multimodality and creativity in new forms of distance learning assessments; exploring University students’ perspectives during the pandemic. In Tasler, N., O’Brien. R, E. and Spiers, A. (eds) Being creative in the face of adversity. The #creative Annual 2021. Creativity for Learning in Higher Education Community. #creativeHE, DOI: https://doi.org/10.25416/NTR.17709860.v4
Charalampia (Hara) Sidiropoulou has extensive experience in teaching, course/module leadership and curriculum design on a range of Higher Education programmes (under/postgraduate, distance learning). Hara has worked as a Senior Lecturer at the London Metropolitan University and as Researcher at the UCL, London. She is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Moreover, she has taught on HE programmes in Greece and in schools as a qualified teacher. Her research interests focus on multimodal communication, academic writing and innovative approaches to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.
George Topalidis is an academic teacher and researcher in the Department of Products and Systems Design Engineering, at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Greece. His research and scholarly interests revolve around political science, sustainable energy and international relations; design, strategic branding and marketing research in the context of applied social sciences.
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Wednesday 12th June, 2024