Developing Understanding and Appreciation of Literature and Critical Reading Concepts through Multimodal Approaches

Abstract

Traditional monomodal or singular modes of presentation of information in the literature classroom often pose difficulties for students as they are normally based on texts and textual information. Capturing students’ attention with a mainly linguistic-based lecture format is also a challenging task. It is therefore crucial that new applications of learning styles and strategies be incorporated into the literature classroom so that these problems can be addressed. This paper reports on the preliminary findings of an ongoing research project based on the introduction of a multimodal approach to teach conceptual understanding of literary theories and concepts. The study argues that not all students arrive at meaning-making through a single mode of delivery and that theoretical and conceptual understanding is not always possible using a singular modal approach. The multimodal approach, which incorporates visual, audio, textual, and kinaesthetic elements, helps optimise learning conditions, enhances student engagement, and promotes meaningful learning. Findings from pre- and post-treatment questionnaires and focus group interviews show strong support for the multimodal approach in improving students’ understanding and appreciation of literary concepts. However, the approach requires more preparation time and adequate resources for successful implementation.