ESSAY AND

MULTIMODAL
102091

ASSESSMENT
TASK DESIGN
ASSESSMENT 2 – 2B

Joelle-Marie El-Nachar
18417223
Joelle Marie El-Nachar 18417223

The essay (1500 words)

Module A: Contemporary Possibilities

In more recent times, the use of technology has increased drastically, specifically for
multimodal assessments. Technology has become a requirement for teachers, as it’s
a necessity to adapt teaching styles with it. This revolutionized method in teaching
has shifted from a more traditional teaching style, moving past textbooks, exercise
books and written assessments. In the English faculty, technology is implemented in
multimodal assessment tasks. This can be considered as a beneficial factor in the
growth and development of student engagement, with expending pedagogical
strategies. According to (Choi & Yi, 2015), these benefits for English learners extend
to visual knowledge, the use of sound and voice, analysing movement, with the use
of texts and technology.

Exploring these opportunities of implementing multimodal assessment tasks in

English classrooms, allows for students to increase engagement of text, content and
the syllabus outcomes. In reference to the Artful English Teacher (Boas & Gazis,
2016), students are able to engage with different texts shifted from writing and
reading, more over to visual modes and media (Boas & Gazis, 2016, p.1).
Furthermore, this book highlights the strategy of using visuals in English to cater to
all learning types. Visuals like Sherlock Holmes allows the diverse classroom of
learners with disabilities/abilities, to engage on a deeper level. Therefore, moving
towards an effective learning experience for student learning styles to create an
understanding of the text (Boas & Gazis, 2016, p.51). The development of
opportunities over the past 20 odd years, has increased teacher’s application of
multimodal assessments. Findings suggest through the works of (Morgan, 2013), a
list of opportunities that develop with implementing multimodal assessments.
Students can learn how to create their own video presentations which increases their
knowledge on the software, as well as how to apply their ideas and thoughts through
these platforms. Multimodal is a positive form of assessment, as it allows students to
demonstrate what they have learnt, develop reading, and writing skills, ultimately
allowing students to communicate their understanding and emotions towards the
literature.

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The assistance of multimodal assessment tasks encourages the engagement for a

diverse range of learners. This integration ranges from the low level students to
gifted and talented students. Despite their cultural differences and socio-economic
background, multimodal assessments allow students the opportunity to engage with
the content on an individual level. This personalised method in completing an
assessment task positively increases cognitive engagement, allowing students to
develop a significantly high level of understanding towards their studies (Boas &
Gazis, 2016, p.43). The application of multimodal assessments in English has
proven to be vital, as studies show this approach to a have a significant effect on
progression of literature in assessments (Burke & Hammett, 2009). In supporting
diversity and student engagement through multimodal assessments, further studies
through a research article was conducted. It is stated that incorporating multimodal
assessments has the opportunity to involve diverse perspectives (Literat et al.,
2017). The research proceeds to claim the idea that multimodal assessments allow
higher levels of participation along with enforcing inclusive relationships. In the
English classroom, diversity of learning styles is critical in achieving optimal
engagement. This further expresses the notion that, multimodal assessments are a
positive teaching pedagogy in providing students a different avenue of learning.

Investigating concerns that ultimately challenge the notion of multimodal

assessments can be seen through the research by (Yi, 2014). The research argues
that there are concerns for implications towards pedagogical use of this strategy. In
relation to these concerns highlighted, English second language or English language
learners are found to have a difficult time understanding the concept of multimodal.
This can cause a potential decrease in engagement and learning for students of this
specific group of learners. Other than English second language (ESL) and English
language learners (ELL), there are evident disadvantages for students of a lower
socio-economic status (SES). Students of low SES generally have lower access to
resources such as computers, laptops, iPads and mobile phones. This has a
negative correlation against the implementation of multimodal assessment tasks, as
low SES students are less likely to have access to equipment. In addition, works
from (Darling-Hammond, Zielezinski & Goldman, 2014) supports the issues that
students in low SES performing school are likely to have a depreciated amount of
access to technology.

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Another challenge English teachers face is that when students construct their
multimodal assessment tasks. Students tend to overlook vital details in texts and
lack depth of content therefore become disconnected from the lesson outcomes.
This is due to the fact that students become distracted by the visual, oral and textual
aspects of the assessment (Yi, 2014). Studies supported by a research from Paige
Ware, claims that when students participated in the making of a multimodal
assessment implications arose. Students for example would have produced a
PowerPoint presentation, however be restricted to only including summaries and
often conveying their points through images and the listing of ideas. As a result, this
effects the student’s engagement with the text as they don’t create in depth
understanding of content. Linking this to disengagement in completing tasks that
encourage extensive writing and individual creativity of a multimodal assessment
(Ware, 2008). Therefore, it would be essential towards a student’s learning that
when multimodal assessments are being created, students can still show their
understanding through in-depth analysis of their text. The evident challenges of
technology and multimodal assessments, stretch on a level that can affect the overall
engagement and learning of a student.

The specific key practices in order to prepare learners for a multimodal assessment
task, begins with text/content and ending with technical use of an applications of the
students’ choice. Focusing on the initial introduction of a text, in this module of
contemporary possibilities students would watch the first episode of the BBC
Sherlock Holmes series. In order for the English classroom teacher to prepare
students for the multimodal assessment, worksheets with images of specific sections
of scenes are handed out. This will allow students to gather dot points of the most
important aspects of the text, also preventing disconnection while the episode is
being played. Along with dot pointed worksheets to ensure students are connected
with the content, the use of paragraph writing and short answers are implemented.
This can further articulate the textual knowledge each learner has in order to move
into creating the multimodal assessment (Mills, K. A.2010). Having students
confident with the content from the text and outcomes of the syllabus, will strengthen
their ability to produce an engaging multimodal assessment.

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Now that the foundation on the multimodal assessment is complete and each
student has a written scaffold of their answers, the next phase is technological
knowledge. This is primarily to allow students to understand the functions and
features of their chosen presentation application. This phase encompasses
technological knowledge and technical support, which allows learners to convey their
content through media applications (Mills, K. A. 2010). The final practice as a
teacher in preparing students to compose their assessments, includes instructional
videos played off YouTube. This ultimately strikes as a guide to ‘How to use’ the
specific application they wish to use for the multimodal assessment. This support
can assist in allowing students to visually witness how to transform their content into
an engaging multimodal assessment (Boas & Gazis, 2016, p.65).

In conclusion, there are educated resourceful opinions circulating the challenges and
opportunities that arise with the integration of multimodal assessments. Specifically,
in English there are texts that can be a challenge in assessing individual student
learning and understanding. However, multimodal assessments are a strong strategy
in tracking individual overall understanding of the module. In light of the challenges
ELL, ESL and low SES there were found difficulties in enforcing the idea multimodal
assessment. Along with these challenges of multimodal assessments,
disengagement of content due to distractions was also an issue within the English
classroom. In order to prepare students for the contemporary possibilities module
linked with the BBC Sherlock Holmes text, specific key practices were undertaken.
This is to ultimately ensure all students have an equal level of knowledge, alongside
a solid platform in order to complete a multimodal assessment at a high achieving
level.

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Reference list:

Boas, E., & Gazis, S. (2016). The artful English teacher. Kensington Gardens,
Australia: Australian Association for the Teaching of English. ISBN: 978 0 90995 528
1

Burke, A., & Hammett, R. (2009). Introduction: Rethinking assessment from the
perspectives of new literacies. In A. Burke & R. Hammett (Eds.), Assessing new
literacies: Perspectives from the classroom (pp. 1-13). New York: Peter Lang
Publishing.

Choi, J., & Yi, Y. (2015). Teachers' Integration of Multimodality Into Classroom
Practices for English Language Learners. TESOL Journal, 7(2), 304-327. doi:
10.1002/tesj.204

Darling-Hammond, L., Zielezinski, M. B., & Goldman, S. (2014). Using technology to

support at-risk students’ learning. Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in
Education, 1, 17.

Literat, I., Conover, A., Herbert-Wasson, E., Kirsch Page, K., Riina-Ferrie, J., &
Stephens, R. et al. (2017). Toward multimodal inquiry: opportunities, challenges and
implications of multimodality for research and scholarship. Higher Education
Research & Development, 37(3), 565-578. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2017.1389857

Mills, K. A. (2010). What Learners "Know" through Digital Media Production:

Learning by Design. E-Learning and Digital Media, 7(3), 223-236.

Morgan, H. (2013). Technology in the Classroom: Creating Videos Can Lead

Students to Many Academic Benefits. Childhood Education, 89(1), 51-53. doi:
10.1080/00094056.2013.757534

Yi, Y. (2014). Possibilities and Challenges of Multimodal Literacy Practices in

Teaching and Learning English as an Additional Language. Language And
Linguistics Compass, 8(4), 158-169. doi: 10.1111/lnc3.12076

Ware, Paige D. 2008. Language learners and multimedia literacy in and after school.
Pedagogies: An International Journal 3. 37–51