scholarly journals Meaning Making with Multiple Representations: a Case Study of a Preservice Teacher Creating a Digital Explanation

Author(s):  
Wendy Nielsen ◽  
Annette Turney ◽  
Helen Georgiou ◽  
Pauline Jones

AbstractThe construction of dynamic multimedia products requires the selection and integration of a range of semiotic resources. As an assessment task for preservice teachers, this construction process is complex but has significant potential for learning. To investigate how weaving together multiple representations in such tasks enables learners to develop conceptual understanding, the paper presents an indicative case study of a 2nd-year preservice primary (K-6) teacher who created a digital explanation on the topic of ‘transparency’ for stage 3 children (ages 11–12). We focus on data gathered during the 3-h construction process including artefacts such as images, online searches, websites accessed and paper records used for planning; the digital explanation as product; audio and video capture of the construction process and pre- and post-construction interviews. Using multimodal analysis, we examine these data to understand how meanings are negotiated as the maker moves iteratively among multiple representations and through semiotic choices within these representations to explain the science concept. The analyses illustrate the complexity of the construction process while providing insight into the creator’s decision-making and to her developing semiotic and conceptual understandings. These findings allow us to build on the concept of cumulative semiotic progression (Hoban & Nielsen, Research in Science Education, 35, 1101-1119, 2013) by explicating the role of iterative reasoning in the production of pedagogic multimedia.

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2 (24)) ◽  
pp. 63-76
Author(s):  
Ani Simonyan

Communication and representation have always been about more than language. Since the times of Ancient Greece and Rome people have been sure that language is not the only tool of communication. This means that there are more factors involved in and contributing to successful and productive interaction. The role of language is invaluable, however, spatial, aural and visual aspects of communication should not be overlooked or underestimated. Multimodality is about the choices of modes and the social effect produced by the mentioned aspects of communication. Modern technologies directly influence multimodality offering new and newly emerging modes or meaning-making resources. Thus, this paper focuses on illustrating contemporary communication realized through more than one mode or, in other words, multimodal ensemble. The article reveals the fact that each mode can add something special to the meaning and its perception that others cannot. It presents a thorough study of mode, multimodality and its key concepts as well as the interrelation between multimodality and new digital technology. The article also highlights the factors contributing to the enhancement of meaning and provides examples that are meticulously discussed through Case Study and Multimodal Analysis methodology to discover all the modes and media resources applied to the creation of meaning.


Author(s):  
Cristina Lleras

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the surge of identity politics and the diversification of heritage and the tensions that arise with the traditional role of national museums that are expected to support the model of a unitary national identity through their narratives and collections. Engaging with distinct patrimonies and transformations in museums checkmates stagnant notions of heritage, but in turn, these actions might also instigate resistance to change. A case study at the National Museum of Colombia will provide an insight into competing notions of heritage, which can be understood as the relics of a material past, but may also be seen as the meanings created about the past. This analysis instigates thoughts about the role that history and historians might play in the elaboration of narratives of identity.


Author(s):  
Christopher Mudaliar

This chapter focuses on the role that constitutions play in national identity, particularly in states that are recently independent and constrained by a colonial legacy. It uses Fiji as a case study, exploring how British colonialism influenced conceptions of Fijian national identity in the constitutional texts of 1970, 1990 and 1997. The chapter explores the indigenous ethno-nationalist ideals that underpinned these constitutions, which led to the privileging of indigenous Fijian identity within the wider national identity. However, in 2013, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama introduced a new constitution which shifted away from previous ethno-nationalist underpinnings towards a more inclusive national identity through the promotion of a civic nationalist agenda. In doing so, Bainimarama’s goal of reducing ethnic conflict has seen a constitutional re-imagining of Fijian identity, which includes the introduction of new national symbols, and a new electoral system, alongside equal citizenry clauses within the Constitution. This study offers a unique insight into power and identity within post-colonial island states.


Author(s):  
K. K. Yadav ◽  
Kumud Dhanwantri

In the present age of industrialization and unregulated urbanization, the Aravali ranges in India are facing deforestation and degradation. The major reasons behind this are the needs of the poor, and greed of the rich. Therefore, part of the Aravalli Ranges falling in different sub-regions of the National Capital Region, has been taken as case study. The chapter intends to provide an insight into the scenario of forests and wildlife in the sub-regions; the challenges, responses, and immediate initiatives taken up by the constituent state governments. It also discusses ways forward to engage the governments and local communities in the protection of forests and wildlife. The conclusion strives to provide probable strategies that can be adopted to transform the transitions of Aravalli into a positive one and ways for engaging government machinery for better governance to escape the grim future we foresee.


2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 78-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Deans ◽  
Suzana Klarin ◽  
Rachel Liang ◽  
Erica Frydenberg

THIS PAPER REPORTS ON a social emotional learning (SEL) program entitled COPE-R and the role of the teacher in supporting young children's developing social and emotional understandings, particularly around caring and empathy. Thirty-eight four- and five-year-old children and their teacher from an inner-Melbourne city long day preschool program participated in the research. The teacher was also a member of the research team hence the study falls within the realm of practitioner-research, which aims to shed further light on the role of the teacher in designing, implementing and evaluating challenging programs for young children. A qualitative case study methodology was employed to ensure that the voices of the children and the teacher-researcher were centrally located in the research. The data included the teacher-researcher's program plans and reflective journal notes, children's drawing-tellings and transcribed child interview data. Findings highlight the capacities of the participating children to engage in the COPE-R program and to demonstrate increased social emotional skill development—as evidenced through being able to identify and give voice to social emotional issues, enact relational empathy, demonstrate care for others and the environment, and recognise emotions in self and others. Also, the findings provide insight into the role of the teacher in implementing the COPE-R program, which enabled the participating children to give voice to a range of social and emotional issues including empathy, reciprocity, generosity, kindness and joy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-303
Author(s):  
Charu Dhankar

The nature nurture issue has been an important debate in all aspects of the individual development. According to Jensen’s heritability ratio, hereditary has an impeccable influence in the development process. Based on these, dermatoglyphics has been used in the present case study in order to observe the innate potential of an individual, to give parents an insight into their child’s hidden potential and to groom them effectively. The present case study is confined to the acquiring methods and unique quotients of the subject. The findings of the study revealed the unique quotients of the subject and the best suitable acquisition method for the subject.  Aim/Purpose: To test the methods of learning and unique quotients of the subject with the help of Dermatoglyphics Multiple Intelligence Test DMIT.  Int. J. Soc. Sci. Manage. Vol-2, issue-3: 301-303 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v2i3.12651 


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 819
Author(s):  
Haitham A. Aldreabi

the events of the Arab Spring attracted the attention of many scholars from various disciplines. However, the general trend of existing literature seems to ignore the different cultural representations within the Arab world leading for assumptions that the uprisings share similar outcomes and/or motivations. This article attempts to deconstruct the terms Arab Spring and Arab world through shedding light on two of the most influential uprisings that brought about social, economic, and political changes. To do so, it combines CDA and narrative theory to address the subject of the thematic nature of the subsequent media messages during the Egyptian and Syrian uprisings to investigate the process of meaning-making and the role of language in social reality construction. The purpose is to motivate researchers to address the largely ignored issue of the different representations in media and narratives.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Cerruti

This paper falls within the line of research dealing with the role of intralinguistic variation in contact-induced language change. Two constructions are compared in terms of their respective degrees of grammaticalization: the progressive periphrasis ese lì c/a+Verb, which is widespread in some Northern Italo-Romance dialects, and the corresponding Italian construction essere lì che/a+Verb. The study focuses on the presence of such constructions in Turin, the capital of the north-western Italian region of Piedmont, in which the former periphrasis is less grammaticalized than the latter. It contends that the grammaticalization process of essere lì che/a+Verb was triggered by the contact between Piedmontese dialect and Italian, whereas the pace of grammaticalization of this periphrasis is affected by the contact between different varieties of Italian. The paper points out that the case study may provide insight into more general issues concerning not only the interplay of contact and variation in language change but also the role of sociolinguistic factors in shaping contact-induced grammaticalization phenomena.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 480-490
Author(s):  
Maryam Abdu Gainaka ◽  
Syed Agil Alsagoff ◽  
Akmar Hayati Ahmad Ghazali

Purpose of the study: The research became necessary to explore the watchdog role of broadcast media in Nigeria. The study was conducted for the purpose of understanding how broadcast media interpret the watchdog function and the reason for its rarity in Nigeria broadcast media. Methodology: The study used the qualitative case study approach. Two broadcast media were purposively selected for the study-FRCN and AIT. Semi-structured face to face interview was used to collect data from ten informants comprising of senior editors and field reporters who were purposively selected for the study. Researchers used thematic analysis for data analysis to interpret and discuss findings. Main findings: The broadcast media perform the watchdog role through reporting of investigations not initiated by them and also through their programs. The absence of watchdog in their media is influenced by the interference of broadcast media owners, enormous economic and commercial pressures on them being a more capital intensive media as well as the failure of broadcast media practitioners to explore the freedom of information Act like their print counterparts do. Application/Implication: The findings offer a reference point for media regulatory bodies to discover broadcast media issues that are useful for making regulations to improve media practice. It contributes to the call for media social responsibility by providing insight into the impediments of fulfilling the media’s social obligation as a watchdog. Novelty/originality: Research in the area of media watchdog role and functions have often focused on audience perceptions and evaluations of print media. This study explored broadcast media and added to the conceptualization of the concept of media as watchdog beyond investigative journalism only.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 218-237
Author(s):  
Sina-Mareen Köhler

This contribution presents results of a longitudinal qualitative study of young adults with different career plans and transition pathways. The central question of this study focuses on the relevance of vocational orientation programs at regular schools for young people’s career plans and transitions. The first part deals with the organization and research about vocational orientation programs. The second part begins by giving an insight into the empirical design of the longitudinal study. It then proceeds to discuss how the methodological perspective of reconstructive research can provide deeper understanding of student’s perspective. Narrative interviews are used as the basis to investigate how the socialization contexts are relevant and interconnected. Through the deeper understanding of student’s perspectives and the role of different socialization agents, it is possible to highlight the relevance of vocational orientation programs at schools. The findings could prove useful for improving vocational orientation programs at schools. Currently, such programs are disconnected from students’ everyday life and show little regard for their perspectives.


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