As university students, we’ve grown accustomed to several different forms of assignments, and we’ve come to expect consistency in what we’re tasked to do in the classroom. Group projects, Powerpoint presentations, question handouts, essays; all of these have become standard practice. We know what is expected when one of these is assigned, and it doesn’t take much additional thought to wrap our heads around. However, every now and then, a professor will assign something a little more unorthodox.
Earlier this week, my peers and I were informed that we would be completing a multimodal assignment, remixing an essay we had previously written for another class into another form. Now, I can’t speak for my peers, but when I heard the word multimodal thrown around, I got excited. While I am perfectly capable of writing essays, they are tedious, and I personally find them frustrating as well as boring. Taking an essay and finding a different way to present the information? That I could have fun with.
I have only had one previous multimodal assignment, but it was enough for me to become familiar with the term. In the case of the previous course, “multimodal” just meant making a Powerpoint and recording audio of myself talking over it, but that isn’t the limit of the term.
Multimodal Possibilities
Melanie Gagich defines a multimodal text as a piece using multiple forms of communication in order to share ideas. There are five modes of communication:
- Visual- what can be seen by an audience
- Linguistic- language, either written or spoken
- Spatial- the arrangement of text
- Gestural- gesture and movement
- Aural- what an audience can or cannot see
The use of these modes goes allows for other forms of text beyond the standard expository essay format. Being given a multimodal assignment allows for the creation of videos, plays, textiles, audio dramas, and more.
It’s all in the Design
After being assigned a multimodal project, you’ve decided that you want to make a poster. You have all of your important information gathered, now it’s just a matter of putting it all together. There are several elements that you may want to keep in mind as you work, elements that will make your poster even more effective.
In their piece “Beyond Black on White: Document Design and Formatting in the Writing Classroom”, Michael J. Klein and Kristi L. Shackelford outline how each element of a text contributes to the overall effectiveness of said text. From the font you use to the alignment of your text, every formatting choice you make will have an impact on your final product. A document that has consistent headings to separate information and sparing use of relevant images to help illustrate its points is easy to read and process, and will pack a punch.
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