Refocusing multiliteracies for the Net Generation

Refocusing multiliteracies for the Net Generation

This paper questions assumptions which underlie two influential concepts associated
with new directions in tertiary pedagogies. One of these concepts (the Net
Generation) is an attempt to pin down a series of characteristics of a new generation
of students arriving at universities with different skills and knowledge sets from
previous generations. The other concept (multiliteracies) attempts to design a
pedagogy which equips students for the demands of a rapidly changing world.
Combining these two concepts raises some important questions. Although
multiliteracies is essentially a philosophy of teaching and learning, much of the
writing on multiliteracies implies that it is something that should be taught, which in
turn assumes that students do not already have multimodal abilities when they arrive
in our university classrooms. However, one of the central characteristics to come out
of the research on the Net Generation identifies precisely that: a highly developed
ability to negotiate among different modes of communication, and a fluency in imagerich
environments, rather than a text-only environment. But this raises the question:
do fluency and speed in reading images (or text) equal the ability to evaluate those
images critically? This paper explores these questions and makes some suggestions
for future directions.

Author retains copyright. The university section to which the author belongs is LTSU (Learning and Teaching Support Unit). The reference in the list is still to OPACS, which does not exist anymore.