Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates multimodal assessment in the South African higher education
context. The communication landscape of students is becoming increasingly
multimodal, resulting in a shift away from higher education institutions’ preferred
mode (that is, the written mode). This is partly as a result of the digital era in which
we live, as the verbal, visual and audio modes co-exist to make meaning, thereby
creating new forms of text (Iedema 2003: 33). Although there is a common
acceptance that the communication landscape has changed, higher education
institutions still seem to consider the written text and written communication as the
most dominant form of meaning-making (Lea 2004: 743). Thus, there is a disparity
between the types of literacies with which students arrive at university, and the types
of literacies that they are expected to use in university. I argue that this disparity is
problematic for education, and maintain that pedagogies be transformed in order to
resolve this issue. In this way, students will be able to “benefit from learning in ways
that allow them to participate fully in public, community, and economic life” (Cazden
et al. 1996: 60). Data for this research includes assignments that were produced by second-year
students of Applied English Language Studies, a subject offered by the Department
of General Linguistics at Stellenbosch University. These assignments include a
multimodal component as well as a formal, written component. Analysis of their
assignments revealed that students show great dexterity in their creations of
multimodal texts. Apart from their design skills, it was revealed that students have
knowledge of a wide variety of social discourses, which is currently mostly ignored in
the education context. Thus, I propose that this knowledge, along with the digital and
visual design skills with which students arrive at university, be valorised and utilised
as an entry point for the teaching of linguistic literacy. This proposal is partly
supported by schema theory, a cognitive theory of learning, which entails that
existing knowledge is used as a platform on which to build new knowledge. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek multimodale assessering in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoër
onderwys konteks. Die kommunikasie landskap van studente word al hoe meer
multimodaal wat ʼn skuif weg van die voorgekeurde modaliteit (die geskrewe) in hoër
onderwys teweegbring. Dit is gedeeltelik a.g.v. die digitale era waarin ons leef waarin
die verbale, visuele en klank modaliteite saam gebruik word om betekenis te skep;
dus word nuwe vorme van teks geskep (Iedema 2003: 33). Alhoewel daar algemeen
aanvaar word dat die kommunikasie landskap verander het, beskou hoër onderwys
instansies nog steeds die geskrewe teks en geskrewe kommunikasie as die
dominante vorm van betekenisskepping (Lea 2004: 743). Daar is dus ʼn gaping
tussen die tipes geletterheid waarmee studente by die universiteit opdaag en watter
daar van hulle verwag word om te gebruik in die universiteit. Ek voer aan dat hierdie
gaping problematies is vir opvoedkunde en stel voor dat pedagogie verander moet
word om dit aan te spreek. Op hierdie manier kan studente voordeel trek op maniere
wat hul toelaat om ten volle deel te neem aan publieke, gemeenskaplike en
ekonomiese lewe (Cazden et al. 1996: 60). Data vir hierdie navorsing sluit opdragte in wat deur tweede jaar Applied English
Language Studies (ʼn vak wat deur die Departement Algemene Taalwetenskap by
Stellenbosch Universiteit aangebied word) studente uitgevoer is. Die opdragte sluit ʼn
multimodale element sowel as ʼn formele geskrewe element in. Analise van die
opdragte wys dat studente vaardigheide het in die produksie van multimodale tekste.
Behalwe die produksie vaardighede wys die analise ook dat hierdie studente kennis
het van ʼn wye reeks sosiale diskoerse wat op die oomblik meestal geïgnoreer word
in die opvoedkundige konteks. Ek voer dus aan dat hierdie kennis sowel as die
digitale- en visuele produksie vaardigheide waarmee studente by die universiteit
opdaag, gevalideer en gebruik word as ingangspoort vir die aanleer van talige
geletterheid. Deels word die voorstel deur skema teorie ondersteun, ʼn teorie wat in
kognitiewe benaderinge tot leer ontwikkel het en wat voorstel dat bestaande kennis
gebruik kan word as ʼn platform om nuwe kennis te bou.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/86668 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Du Toit, Tamzin |
| Contributors | Oostendorp, Marcelyn, Onraet, Lauren, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | x, 124 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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