Module: Multimodality in Early Childhood Education

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Multimodality in Early Childhood Education
Module Code	EDP1111 (ITS: EC322)
Faculty	Language, Literacy & ECE	School	DCU Institute of Education
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

This module aims to support the student in addressing and scaffolding the multiple modes in which young children interpret and communicate meaning. During the module, the use of linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and spatial modes will be examined in order to understand the communicative relationship between the educator and the young child. Additionally, the key means in which young children express their learning and themselves through the various forms and representations namely play and art will be explored. The different ways in which digital technologies can support early learning provide a context within which to consider how technology can be used by children to make and express meaning and to communicate ideas and information. The support that young children need to use a range of technologies for meaning making and communication are considered.

Learning Outcomes

1. Critique the literature on young children’s multimodal meaning making and communication in early childhood.
2. Explore how young children use different modes for making and expressing meaning.
3. Plan and design appropriate learning experiences that engage children in using a range of modes for making meaning and expressing.
4. Demonstrate the ways in which all young children can be enabled in engage in art and play and use a range of digital technologies when making and expressing meaning.
5. Appraise resources that support young children’s multimodal meaning making and communication in an early years educational setting.
6. Evaluate young children’s multimodal meaning making using digital technologies in an early years educational setting.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Workshop	22	Participation in weekly 2hr workshops to interrogate theoretical concepts and multimodal contexts and resources
Field Trip	4	Application and evaluation of digital play experiences with young children in an early childhood education setting
Portfolio Preparation	20	Creation of artefacts and design of eporfolio for assessment
Independent Study	58	Reading to support learning. Planning and designing digital play experiences for fieldtrip.
Assignment Completion	21	Completion of assessment
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	20302	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Fiona Giblin	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Digital Project	Creation of learning eporfolio with artefacts to demonstrate participation and learning	50%	Sem 2 End
Essay	Individual written essay critically analysing theory and practice supporting multimodality in early childhood	50%	Sem 2 End

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Multimodality in Early Childhood
If all children are to become competent and confident communicators and meaning makers, then all children need multimodal opportunities to be become proficient in their use and combination of modes through various representations and diverse contexts. By participating in lectures and completing the preparatory activities, students will develop their knowledge and skills to support and provide multimodal learning experiences in the early years settings. Students will: •Discuss and critique weekly course literature and content on multimodality by writing reflections in journal •Complete the Book Creator Certified Author course to receive a digital badge •Make meaning from multiliteracies in the format of picture books and digital animations •Create a multimodal picture book in digital format using the Book Creator app •Present resources/stimuli/objects you personally created during the module which support multimodality including creating a diorama •Engage in the multimodal context of block play and photograph a block structure created in the workshop •Watch a video clip to analyse how could you support children's symbolic representation and transformation, communication skills by providing open-ended resources to support children's multimodal learning •Appraise digital tools and resources that support young children’s multimodal communication and meaning making in digital play •Plan a multimodal experience using digital tools in an early years classroom •Work with a small group of children to support multimodality in the early years classroom

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Available on: 0, Module Loop page,
Jewitt, C.: 2013, Multimodal methods for researching digital technologies. In The Sage Handbook of Digital Technology Research, Sage, 250,
Kress, G.: 2010, Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication, Routledge,
Narey, M.: 2009, Making meaning: Constructing multimodal perspectives of language, literacy and learning through arts-based early childhood education, Springer,
Yelland, N., Lee, L., ORourke, M. Harrison, C.: 2008, Rethinking learning in early childhood education, McGraw-Hill Education,

Articles:

Available on: 0, Module Loop page, 517199
2012: Assessing and Scaffolding Make-Believe Play, NAEYC., 517200, 1
A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures: Harvard educational review, 66(1), 60, 517201, 1, Flewitt, R.
Early Years: 25(3), 207, 517202, 1, Hassett, D. D., & Curwood, J. S., 2009
63(4): 270, 517203, 1, Hopperstad, M. H. (2008)., 0, How children make meaning through drawing and play. Visual Communication, 7(1), 77–96..pdfHopperstad, M. H. (2008). How children make meaning through drawing and play
77: 517204, 1, Palaiologou, I., 0, Children under five and digital technologies: implications for early years pedagogy, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal
517205: 1, Papandreou, M., 2014, Communicating and Thinking Through Drawing Activity in Early Childhood, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 28(1), 85,
1: Wolfe, S., & Flewitt, R., 2010, New technologies, new multimodal literacy practices and young children's metacognitive development, Cambridge Journal of education, 40(4), 387,
Worthington, M., & van Oers, B: 2017, Children’s social literacies: Meaning making and the emergence of graphical signs and texts in pretence, Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 17(2), 147,

Other Resources

1: Digital resources and supports, Available on Module Loop page,