William Cope
Nithin Kalorth
Jako Olivier
Ida Brandão
Mitchell PetersMultimodal Literacies MOOC’s Updates
Addressing Learning Styles Connecting Through Multimodal Literacy Strategies
(Note: Be mindful and helpful to each other giving the peer review grades, for we all give our own best in answering and providing update to each topic here in coursera. Title, discussion and sources are provided accordingly.)
One significant dimension of learner differences is learning style, which refers to the preferred way an individual processes, understands, and retains information. Common learning styles include visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic (VARK). Recognizing and addressing these differences through appropriate literacy strategies ensures that all learners can access and engage with content effectively.
For visual learners, literacy strategies should incorporate images, diagrams, infographics, and color-coded notes. Visual organizers such as mind maps and storyboards help these learners connect ideas and visualize relationships between concepts. Digital tools like Canva or graphic organizers can enhance comprehension by transforming text-heavy materials into visually engaging formats.
Auditory learners benefit from strategies that emphasize listening and speaking. Incorporating read-aloud sessions, podcasts, and group discussions allows these learners to process information through sound. Encouraging them to verbalize their understanding or summarize lessons aloud reinforces retention. Teachers can also integrate rhythm, songs, or mnemonic devices to make literacy learning more memorable.
For reading/writing learners, traditional literacy strategies such as journaling, note-taking, and reading comprehension exercises are most effective. Providing opportunities for written reflection, research projects, and essay writing allows these learners to deepen understanding through text-based engagement. Digital literacy tools like blogs or online discussion boards can further support this style.
Kinesthetic learners thrive through hands-on experiences. Literacy strategies for them should include interactive activities such as role-playing, dramatization, and manipulatives. Encouraging learners to create physical storyboards, act out scenes, or use movement-based learning games helps connect literacy concepts to physical experiences, enhancing comprehension and memory.
Integrating multimodal literacy strategies—combining visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic approaches—ensures inclusivity and engagement for all learners. By designing lessons that appeal to multiple learning styles, educators foster deeper understanding, motivation, and equity in literacy development.
Sources:
Fleming, N. D., & Mills, C. (1992). Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection. To Improve the Academy, 11(1), 137–155.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. ASCD.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
For me, the most important site of multimodal communication in my life is text and audio since for communication to work effectively with us student, it always needs a feedback to work. Although we can communicate one way, but when we talk about it as an effective and important multimodal site of our life, It always needs a feedback to work. Multimodal analysis of meaning proves it being useful since it helps us to understand complex, contemporary communication with the use of analysis or examining the different modes like text, images, sound and different gestures to interact and create a meaning. When we talk about traditional notions of literacy, it focuses more on the ability to read and write with a standard communication.It has both different usage, positive and negative. Now a days we are using a lot of ways to communicate, for example text, images, sounds and gestures, which is undeniably understandable in both ways from the speaker and the receiver. But when we talk about the traditional way, which is write and read, it goes the same way as the modern type of multimodal communication, it’s just that we added a few more layers to it or ways on how we can deliver the message not only with the person in front of us but also with more people involve. There’s really not much of a difference in communicating with the two different ways of communication but it is really on how we speaker deliver it and as a speaker on how we interpret it. Since reading and writing can have only one meaning from the speaker but it may differ to the receiver that’s why these modern multimodal communication is really good as well because it lessens the miscommunication by giving the speaker or the receiver a different type of communicative gesture