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

Abstract

The 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.

Multiple Representation Approach in Elementary School Science Learning: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Multiple representations should be applied through product-based multimedia aspects (such as online searches, websites accessed, paper notes, artifacts, images) and digital explanations as products (video recordings, audio, photos) of the diverse student knowledge construction process (Nielsen et al, 2022;Singleton et al, 2020;Tytler et al, 2021). Multiple representations is a deep-learning approach, assigning multiple tasks according to the chosen representation and inviting students to represent according to their abilities (Olsson et al, 2021).…”

Materiales digitales autoconstruidos para la enseñanza del espacio en la formación docente: propuesta didáctica

“…La notable variedad de dispositivos digitales tales como el teléfono móvil, la tablet, el ordenador, etc. junto con los diferentes programas de creación de contenido digital favorecen que los estudiantes puedan diseñar sus propios materiales didácticos de una forma sencilla (Nielsen, Turney, Georgiou, y Jones, 2022). En este sentido, son destacados los estudios que demuestran que estas actividades contribuyen de forma positiva al rendimiento en el aprendizaje (Hoban y Nielsen, 2014;Mills, Tomas, y Lewthwaite, 2019;Paige, Bentley, y Dobson, 2016), pueden aportar beneficios positivos en el desarrollo de actitudes relacionadas con el trabajo en equipo y la responsabilidad, así como en la alfabetización digital (Nielsen et al, 2022).…”

“…junto con los diferentes programas de creación de contenido digital favorecen que los estudiantes puedan diseñar sus propios materiales didácticos de una forma sencilla (Nielsen, Turney, Georgiou, y Jones, 2022). En este sentido, son destacados los estudios que demuestran que estas actividades contribuyen de forma positiva al rendimiento en el aprendizaje (Hoban y Nielsen, 2014;Mills, Tomas, y Lewthwaite, 2019;Paige, Bentley, y Dobson, 2016), pueden aportar beneficios positivos en el desarrollo de actitudes relacionadas con el trabajo en equipo y la responsabilidad, así como en la alfabetización digital (Nielsen et al, 2022). La incorporación de actividades relacionadas con la autoconstrucción de materiales digitales ofrece una respuesta a nivel pedagógico que cumple con las expectativas emanadas de la tradicional autoconstrucción (mejora en el aprendizaje, aumento de la autoestima, incremento del compromiso, etc.).…”

The Relationship between Multiple Representational Skills and Understanding of Physics Concepts in the Pre-Service Science Teacher

“…Many previous studies have suspected that a person's conception is related to his ability to present information in various forms, known as multiple representations [9]. In Physics, the concept of Physics is described, represented, or denoted.…”