Usage of Multi-modality and Adherence to Copyright Laws

In a technology driven society, professionals who create digital media are increasingly encouraged to be multi modal. Multi-modality refers to using multiple different ways to communicate something (Ball, Sheppard, Arola, 2018). An example of multi modality would be using words to describe the 100m dash at the 1936 summer Olympics as well as including a picture of it. The written text is an example of the linguistic and textual mode while the photo exemplifies the visual mode. The use of multi-modality increases the likelihood the message will be conveyed to the target audience. In the effort of being multi modal, it is imperative to adhere to all copyright laws. There is not complete freedom when creating digital media, there are strict guidelines that must be followed. In this first blog post, I will share ways I am multi modal, explain the importance of intellectual property, and list ways to assess credibility of digital media.

Jesse Owens breaking the world record for the 100m dash at the 1936 summer Olympics

There are five modes that are outlined in Writer/Designer A Guide to Making Multimodal Projects (Ball, Sheppard, Arola, 2018):

• Linguistic mode- Using written language to describe something  
• Visual mode- Images and other characteristics that readers see
• Aural mode- Use of sound in communicating a message
• Spatial mode- Physical arrangement and organization 
• Gestural mode- Using movement, such as body language, to convey meaning                          

 As a college student and high school science teacher candidate, multi-modality is a huge part of my work. I do it so much that sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. I use the five modes of communicating in the following ways:

• Linguistic: Using written text to describe my research
• Visual: Pictures, tables, and graphs used as visual evidence to support my claims
• Aural: Good volume when speaking to a class or use of video demonstrations
• Spatial: Using organization when creating a presentation for class or for students
• Gestural: Using hand gestures to emphasis important points 

Coherently merging all 5 modes, or as many modes as possible, increases comprehension of the audience by increasing the number of mediums in which the information can be conveyed (Ball, Sheppard, Arola, 2018).

I find the use of multi-modality to be most important when teaching high school students. Each student has varying academic capabilities, interest levels, learning styles, and attention spans. If the teacher continually expresses content in one mode, most of the students will become uninterested and their education will suffer. Whenever I do lectures or create activities for the students to do, I not only think about how many different ways I can express the information to them, but how many different ways they can express their answer back to me. Giving students that freedom makes them more comfortable and increases their quality of work (Marzano, 2006). My goal is to differentiate to the needs of each individual student, and the use of multi-modality is largely important in me achieving that goal

Being multi-modal is not limited to a professional setting. I find myself being multi-modal in every day life. My roommates and I share information through a variety of mediums. We have face to face conversations, we share memes and videos with each other, and sometimes we can communicate by just looking at each other. I would actually argue that it is much easier to be multi-modal in every day life. Instead of consciously thinking about what mode to use, you just use the one that naturally fits. Recognizing multi-modality in every day life is helpful in creating a bridge to using it professionally.

While creating multi-modal works on digital platforms, one must adhere to intellectual property and copyright laws. These are laws that protect authors and content creators from getting their work stolen (Carrol, 2017). However, one can still use the work of others, they just must give the original creator their credit. If you were to use somebody's direct words, you would put them in quotation marks and create a citation for it in a reference list. If you use somebody's image, you must link where the image came from or give acknowledgements to the creator. However, images get a little trickier because fair use applies. Fair use prevents somebody from taking an image or design in their work even if they attribute the original creator. These images are only under fair use if they are being used for limited or educational/productive purposes.The reoccurring theme here is to give credit where it is due. Blatantly stealing content or claiming it as your own can get one fired from a job, kicked out of school, or even put in jail.

I just mentioned how if you're going to borrow information from somebody else you must cite it. But how do you know if that information is credible? One way to assess the credibility of something is to fact check it. This would mean checking multiple sources about the same piece of information. If all the sources check out with the same information, it can be deemed factual and those websites credible. Any website listed as .gov and most websites that are .org are credible. Credible websites also often have limited to no advertisements, a clear layout, and no flashing lights and gimmicks. People can literally write whatever they want on the internet whether it's factual or not. Developing skills of assessing credibility helps sift through websites and information that should be avoided. Also, using credible sources with good information improves search engine optimization (SEO) of a site. Major search engines such as google reward sites with credible information and sources by putting them farther ahead on the results page, thus increasing the traffic of the site.

References

Ball, C.E., Sheppard J., & Arola, K.L. (2018). Writer/Designer A Guide to Making Multimodal Projects. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Carrol, B. (2017). Writing and Editing for Digital Media. New York, NY: Routledge.

Marzano, R.J. (2006). Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.