An Integrative Framework for the Analysis of Multiple and Multimodal Representations for Meaning‐Making in Science Education

Abstract

This paper presents an integrative framework for analyzing science meaning‐making with representations. It integrates the research on multiple representations and multimodal representations by identifying and leveraging the differences in their units of analysis in two dimensions: timescale and compositional grain size. Timescale considers the duration of time a learner typically spends on one or more representations. Compositional grain size refers to the elements of interest within a representation, ranging from components such as visual elements, words, or symbols, to a representation as a whole. Research on multiple representations focuses on the practice of re‐representing science concepts through different representations and is typically of long timescale and large grain size. Research on multimodal representations tends to consider how learners integrate the components of a representation to produce meaning; it is usually of finer grain size and shorter timescale. In the integrative framework, each type of analysis on multiple and multimodal representations plays a mutually complementary role in illuminating students’ learning with representations. The framework is illustrated through the analysis of instructional episodes of middle school students using representations to learn nanoscience concepts over the course of a lesson unit. Finally, recommendations for new research directions stemming from this framework are presented.

Unpacking physics representations: Towards an appreciation of disciplinary affordance

“…2) were further documented by inserting red and black colored dots into the diagram to represent the red and black colored connectors that were used [61]. The audio data, the video data (giving due consideration to any pointing gestures that were captured in the video), and the matched reconstructions were simultaneously brought together to generate our understanding of the sequence of events [62][63][64][65][66].…”

An Exploratory Study of the Uses of a Multisensory Map—With Visually Impaired Children

“…We discussed the Proust effect above, and we propose here to be attentive to the congruities identified by children across multiple situations when interpreting olfactory and gustatory cues, to how they can be part of "the re-representation process incorporat(ing) the interaction and context of preceding activities and project(ing) them into subsequent activities" [33].…”

Modal Representations and their Role in the Learning Process: A Theoretical and Pragmatic Analysis

“…A review of the research in the fields of language and education shows that representation is defined as a type of transformation or change of information obtained through the conceptualization, visualization, or concretization of an item in a certain format or mode. Based on this definition, representations can be concluded to have emerged as an integral part of the language of science (Tang et al, 2014).…”

“…Research in this field has mostly examined the impact of more than one representation of the same concept or phenomenon on student understanding (Ainsworth, 2006;Tang et al, 2014). Research on multi-modal representations, particularly in science education, has focused on the relationship between science learning and the synchronous use of modes within or between representations (Airey & Linder, 2009;Lemke, 1998;Mursia, 2010).…”

“…It is the process of expressing appropriate modes with appropriate concepts rather than describing the same concept or phenomena with different modes . Research on multi-modal representations considers the local use of various modes depending on the concept or phenomenon and how students combine the different parts of a representation (Tang et al, 2014). Research in this field has contributed to the learning process by describing different concepts and sub-concepts using various modes depending on their availability.…”