Multimodality Across Classrooms: Learning About and Through Different Modalities

Abstract

As meaning-makers humans have always drawn on more than language to share their experience of the world, develop relationships, express opinions and feelings and develop cohesive and coherent texts. They enhance and elaborate language-based meanings with bodily gestures, facial expressions, gaze and with aspects of the social co'ntext. These contextual aspects include the physical space and av-ailable technologies. Technological advances, throughout human history, have expanded the modes through which humans can exchange meanings from the invention of writing to the devel­opment of digital technologies that continue to expand the ways in which humans can bring together different modes to make meaning. Early cave paintings and rock art represent the close connection humans have with images, establishing one way to communicate across time and to symbolise human existence.