Simulations offer the learner a chance to actively engage with content, making real time meaning from an experience. As a chemistry teacher, I can't offer hands-on lab experiences to my students who are learning remotely. However, I can put them into a science simulation where they can play around with variables and make sense of the collected data. I think students today are also very open to this type of experience because they are comfortable in a gaming environment in which they manipulate variables and make sense of outcomes all the time.

There are a few educational organizations and companies offering science simulations, including Gizmos, Jason Learning, and PhET simulations. Some of these require subscriptions, which impacts optional use by teachers. These immersive experiences are usually multi-modal as well, with visuals, sounds, text, charts, etc.

A lot of information about the importance of multiliteracy and multi-modal learning in schools today is available at CAST. I took a Universal Design for Learning class during my prior education studies, and the benefits of offering a variety of learning avenues and means of expression are huge to students. Watch this video if you'd like to learn more about meeting the diverse needs of learners through Universal Design, which is an approach to curriculum design that minimizes barriers and maximizes access to learning for all students.

It is crucial that we consider ways to incorporate multiliteracy into educational experiences and offer multi-modal means of both engaging and expressing learning.