Multimodal Engagement through a Transmedia Storytelling Project for Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Transmedia storytelling has great potential in the field of education and research on its applications and benefits in teaching and learning is growing. This paper explores the use of transmedia storytelling as a multimodal pedagogical tool for tertiary students. This paper explicates the design and application of a transmedia storytelling project in increasing multimodal engagement for undergraduate students from various faculties. A case study of a transmedia storytelling campaign conceptualised and produced by undergraduate students from a Malaysian public university was analysed for evidence of multimodal engagement. Students' project output including campaign pitches, campaign designs and artefacts such as scripts, storyboards, posters, photos and videos submitted via digital formats were collated and analysed using a multimodal framework. Post-assessment reflections submitted by students were also analysed. The findings of the case study revealed that the conceptualisation and production of a transmedia storytelling campaign consisting of a short film, book and social media page enabled students to engage with multiple modalities and develop various skills and competencies. Analysis of campaign artefacts and student reflections found that the use of this novel pedagogy enabled students to engage with visual and spatial, linguistic, audio, gestural and technical digital modes of meaning as well as develop literary competencies and creative thinking skills through this project. This paper paves the way for further exploration of the use of transmedia storytelling as a multimodal pedagogical tool to develop various literacies, educational competencies as well as 21 st century skills amongst tertiary students.

Use of Multimodality in Remote Drama Performance among Pre-Service Teachers during the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…In accordance to Perry's (2020) study on the use of transmedia storytelling project as a pedagogical tool for multimodal engagement, the analysis above highlights the students were engaged with linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, spatial, and tactile modes through their selection and representation of meanings in performing and presenting their remote drama performance. They participated actively in conceptualising, designing and producing multiple modes of meanings through the short film.…”

“…The findings of a case study by Perry (2020) revealed that the conceptualisation and production of a transmedia storytelling project consisting of a short film, book and social media page were able to help students to engage with multiple modalities and develop various skills and competencies.…”

“…Oral mode is the process of communication to convey or receive messages with the use of spoken words or live speech. Actors who deliver dialogues or monologues with the right tone of voice, inflection, accent and volume also demonstrate an understanding of how elements of voice, sound and volume can affect meaning production in a text (Perry, 2020). This mode of communication is highly used in staging or recording a drama.…”

“…They need to be able to critically evaluate and apply multimodal representations, and appropriate teaching and learning strategies can create multimodal engagement for students. However, many educational institutions have yet to fully tap into and develop the potential and skills that the learners possess by providing them with learning experiences that offer multimodal engagement which allows them to experience meaning making through various modes of learning (Perry, 2020) especially in a drama course. Since the pedagogy of drama performance has recently been progressive especially with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the staging of live drama performance is transformed to remote drama performance.…”

Una experiencia de diseño de una tarea de evaluación sumativa en formato transmedia para formación inicial de profesorado

“…Ofrecer formatos transmedia que incluyan narrativas elaboradas por los estudiantes abunda en una de las clásicas estrategias didácticas que ha demostrado reiteradamente no solo favorecer la competencia comunicativa y digital de los estudiantes, sino además tener efectos muy positivos en lo que se llama el "enganche" con las asignaturas (Perry, 2020). En la experiencia que nos ocupa, esas narrativas se han visto muy enriquecidas por la complementariedad de los medios, por un lado, enriqueciendo las oportunidades de reflexión a través de lenguajes no verbales que se incluyen en los audiovisuales presentados (gifs, emoticonos, efectos especiales, música, referencias cinematográficas, etc.…”