https://datafloq.com/read/we-should-embrace-technology-change-globalisation/5273

As society progresses in the wake of technological advances and the advent of globalization draws nearer, it is of great significance that the systems of education that prepare the next generation for success develop with it. This is no small task, as technology is increasing at an exponential level and an international approach to education is turning conventional ideas of learning upside down. The traditional, post-industrial methodology of education is quickly becoming outdated and educators would do well to embrace all forms of technology that could enhance learning to improve the potential of success for their learners in the future. One aspect of this that requires special attention is the idea of multiple learning styles. How can teachers address as many of those learning styles as possible at any given time? The concept of appealing to multiple learning styles at one time is known as multimodality and the instillation of this concept in the classroom will result in multimodal learners who are more capable of becoming productive members of society. In order to effectively reach students on a multimodal level, teachers should have an understanding of multiple intelligences and multiple learning styles. They need to be trained to recognize the particular learning styles of their students in order to better interact with them and to find digital tools that will enhance this method of education in the classroom. As an educator who has taught various subjects in several different capacities (English, Mathematics, and TEFL in primary schools, secondary schools, language schools, and colleges on three different continents) it was my experiences as a teacher, and later a director, in English language schools in Shanghai that reinforced the concepts of multimodality, innovative technology, and multiple intelligences. It was in those schools that I learned about multiple intelligences and in each of my classes I was taking a multimodal approach to delivering my lessons before I even knew that word meant. It was also in those schools where I was first introduced to smart soard technology, the programming aspect of those smart boards fascinated me. I began to create my own interactive games and they became highly engaging language-learning vehicles for my students. This level of innovation drew the attention of other language schools in my city and I began holding idea-sharing workshops to introduce those games and train other teachers how to build them themselves. As I grew within the company and became an academic director, that level of innovation became a trademark of my language school. The CEO would visit us often and one of the lowest performing schools (mainly due to its location in the outskirts of the city) soon became one of the first language schools within our company to enroll more than 1000 learners. The possibilities presented by technology fascinated me and, over time, recognizing the different learning styles of my students and implementing an appropriate teaching strategy became subconscious actions. While researchers and educators are facing some challenges with adapting systems towards multimodality, the future benefits far outweigh those present difficulties. Technology provides tools that can be used to engage a variety of students with different learning styles at once and the effective implementation of multimodal learning in schools will strengthen our society over time.

[Practical Psychology]. (2016, April, 2). 8 Intelligences - Theory of Multiple Intelligences Explained - Dr. Howard Gardner. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2EdujrM0vA

It’s not how well we learn, but how we learn. This idea was postulated by Howard Gardner in his theory multiple intelligences. Our capacity to acquire, retain, and apply the skills and knowledge presented to us is spread out over the span of eight different types of intelligences: bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, musical, spatial, logical-mathematical, naturalistic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal (Mingchu, 2018). This educational philosophy has been changing the way we approach the nature of learning, most especially in the often-overlooked field of teaching English as a second (or foreign) language. For the past few decades, Gardner’s theory has been central to the training and methods of ESL and TEFL for teachers, administrators and students around the world. It is important to note the distinction between multiple intelligences and multiple learning styles. While there are many different approaches to learning styles, one that is widely recognized is the VARK system; this system categorizes those styles as visual, aural, reading/writing, and kinesthetic (May, 2019). An experienced teacher will be able to observe students and notice subtleties that provide clues to their preferred learning styles.

https://www.oneclearmessage.com/multiple-intelligences-and-learning-styles/

These strategies draw on the aforementioned intelligences to build on their base of knowledge and skills and this is done in four main ways: aiding students in the development of a better understanding of their own strengths and learning styles, aiding the teachers in becoming more familiar with their students’ intelligences, supplying the learning environment with a greater variety of ways in which students can both learn and demonstrate what they have learned, and improving lesson plans so that the lesson addresses a greater range of students’ needs (May, 2019). This greater understanding, by the teacher, of each student’s individualized learning preferences shifts the environment from teacher-centered to learner-centered while both re-energizing and better engaging the students (May, 2019). However, many teachers have difficulty engaging students at all different learning styles each class session, adversely affecting the knowledge retention of those individual students not reached.

https://thewavesofthefuture.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/multimodality-for-diverse-audiences/

“What does multi-modal learning mean? In a nutshell, it means that the more different ways you learn something the more you will really learn it! The more different ways you learn something, the more you will remember it! The more different ways you learn something, the more you will genuinely understand it!” - David Lazear

Through the use of media, multiple learning styles can be engaged at once. This creates an ideal environment for learning and is much more effective than appealing to just one or two learning styles at a time (May, 2019). Education, at its core, cannot be done effectively without interacting and finding ways to relate concepts to learners. Communication is central to teaching and so is being able to observe and understand what students are trying to communicate, as well as how they communicate. Extensive research is now being done to better understand multimodality and implement multimodal systems, which will be explained later in greater detail. This is for two reasons: to better understand all possibilities of human-to-human interaction and to maximize the potential of natural communication between humans and computers (Krist2366, 2014). Much of the interaction people are accustomed to having with computer interfaces is through single-modal systems. These experiences often lead to frustration and are limited in the various ways in which the goal of that communication can be reached. While this affords people the freedom to choose styles of communication best-suited for themselves, it is more expensive and the technical set-up is much more challenging to create and maintain (Krist2366, 2014). As society moves forward, it is the tasks of educators to work together on a global level in order to find the best ways to utilize technology so that media becomes a multimodal tool, not a distraction, that optimizes learning by engaging students on all levels at all times.

https://www.solidprofessor.com/blog/multimodal-approach-learning/

A well-executed multimodal learning environment, and the incorporation of creative strategies within that environment, develops students into multimodal learners who are able to learn more quickly and at a deeper level; this leads to greater comprehension and retention (Jokinen & Raike, 2003). Both teachers and students are now learning to become more and more multimodally literate as technology improves the mediums of communication between people and other people, as well as between people and machines. This evolving concept of multimodal literacy has two dimensions. First, the acknowledgement of the significance of all semiotic resources that are contained within our communicative constructs allows the multimodally literate student to be able to recognize the potential presented to them by new media, yielding an improved ability to deliberately make more effective choices with the knowledge given to them by technology (Jokinen & Raike, 2003). Second, the ability to derive meanings from different forms of communication on a multi-semiotic level is instilled in the multimodal learner and enables them to more accurately communicate with and deduce meanings from all interaction, whether that interaction is with other people, material objects, or systems (Jokinen & Raike, 2003). Not only does the progression of traditional students into multi-modal, semiotically sensitive students create better learners but it also will, in time, turn those learners into producers of multimodal texts themselves. It is important that we continue to find the best mediums of communication that can be used within the classroom to enhance learning, thus creating more competent producers of multimodal systems in the future.

How do teachers take advantage of the technology to which they have access in order to enhance their learning environment and keep their lessons central to the theme of multimodality? Such an approach will generate greater involvement from learners as they are all engaged at their particular learning style. There is a myriad of multimodal learning tools made available to everyone, they just need to know where to find them. Whether they are interactive graphs, videos, educational games, or even smartboards, teachers should be given a wide availability of cutting-edge learning tools as well as the training to properly use them in the classroom. According to McGraw-Hill Education’s fourth annual Digital Study Trends Survey, the majority of students greatly prefer technology in the classroom; so educators and administrators have the responsibility to recognize and follow this growing trend by leveraging technology and digital learning tools to enhance the multimodal learning strategies within the curriculums of their schools (Jokinen & Raike, 2003).

https://alistapart.com/article/multimodal-perception-when-multitasking-works/

While the advantages to multimodal learning far outweigh the disadvantages, it is wise to identify the challenges of adapting our educational systems as we move our ways of thinking about learning into the future. There are two main challenges to instituting interactive systems of multimodality into our schools: adaptivity and design-for-all principles (Jokinen & Raike, 2003). The systems being implemented are static in nature and unable to automatically adapt to the varying needs of its users; there is a need for adaptive systems that will recognize and learn from usability patterns with each interaction they have (Jokinen & Raike, 2003). Even if these adaptive systems are put into place, users will typically assume the systems they are interacting with are not capable of learning from them, thus they will limit their interaction and not look for additional features of the systems. Also, similar to the challenges being faced by those implementing the guarantees of access to education for all, as drafted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, enabling equal technological access for everyone, enabling equal access on a technological level is difficult in a world rampant with inequity. The idea of inclusive design of these multimodal systems, that optimize both usability and usefulness, will require data from numerous interactions before becoming a reality (Jokinen & Raike, 2003). The application of multimodal systems is not simple, and it will be an ongoing process for some time.

https://alistapart.com/article/multimodal-perception-when-multitasking-works/

As stated previously, the number of digital tools available to enhance multimodal learning in classrooms is manifold. Schools have a responsibility to train educators not only to adapt their lessons towards the concept of multimodality but to also know how to find the learning tools and programs made obtainable to them. Here are two of such options.

The Interact-project is one aimed at researching methodologies for rich interaction modelling in order to develop a better Finnish language dialogue system that would allow natural language interaction in many more situations than were previously possible (Jokinen & Raike, 2003). Its functionality is aimed at availability for all, containing tools such as interactive maps and even assistance with sign language (Jokinen & Raike, 2003). Unfortunately, it has not yet been developed into a fully functional multimodal system. The use of sign language in multimodal systems has its own difficulties, such as translation between speech and signs as well as the natural transference of language into graphics (Jokinen & Raike, 2003).

Another program, called SolidProfessor, advertises itself as a unique, multi-dimensional training solution. It claims to work in four ways: Exciting the students’ curiosity through interactive exercises and video-based courses that appeal to all learning styles, tailoring lesson plans specifically to the needs of all students, preparing students for success in their future work endeavors with industry-recognized certifications through online training, and measuring and tracking student progress to ensure their skills are being developed in-line with state and industry standards (May, 2019). This solution is more tailored for skills-based training and learning rather than supplementing a general education and feedback has been very positive. For example, students that have used SolidProfessor show a much higher pass rate on software certification exams (May, 2019).

https://www.alstom.com/whitepaper-orchestrating-future-mobility

The technology that is pushing multimodal learning to the forefront of education isn’t yet perfect, but the possibilities it holds for more effective learning and a more engaging class environment are clear. Teachers first need to be taught how to identify and address multiple learning styles and how to use technology to their advantage in the classroom to optimize knowledge retention for their students. Once educators have a solid understanding of multiple intelligences and multiple learning styles and once they are adequately trained in the proper ways to apply the concept of multimodality to their lessons, the benefits will build over time and give back to our system of education in greater and greater ways with each generation. Multimodal teachers will create multimodal students who will have an even greater aptitude for learning than their predecessors and grow to produce better ways of utilizing technology to benefit education and society as a whole. Those learners that become teachers themselves will start the cycle again, reaping even greater benefits to society. As we evolve, so must our systems, most especially our way of looking at education and the effectiveness in which it supplies our communities with resilient and capable life-long learners.