Hi everyone! Blurring the boundaries between "online" and "offline" is one of the most common technologies for sharing thoughts: spatial recognition (either Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3). Unlike other headspaces, "multiliteracies" dramatically change the way we create and maintain content.

Most magic tricks

Until recently, most digital communications were "flat"—text on a screen or 2D video. However, spatial computing has a high level of multimodality, with the ability to process different "modes" (visual, audio, gesture, and space) in a single message. In this space, translation is not just what you read; It’s something you have to live with.

• Spatial Mode: The laptop uses the same technology that allows users to store information in a spatial location. You can "pin" the digital notebook itself to your desk or a 3D model of the DNA sample.

• Symbolic behavior: We go beyond pressing buttons. Our hands, eyes, and body act as our "keyboards" to communicate with emotions.

• Audio-Visual Synergy: Spatial sound, sound has space. If the digital avatar is standing to your left, their voice will come from the left side, adding a layer of realism that traditional video calls simply cannot achieve.

What is this problem of “meaning-making”?

So, why do we care? Because this technology is transforming human meaning-making activity. In traditional writing, you use words to describe emotions. In a spatial environment, it is possible to design an immersive experience where one can experience the scale of a historical event or a scientific discovery.

Levels the playing field for different types of students. If you struggle with heavy text, you might be better off in the world of tactile and 3D information. However, how we interpret the digital space challenges us to be "literate." We need to learn how to go around making "fake" digital objects look like real ones.

Spatial computing is not just a new tool; It is a new canvas for human thought. It asks that we become masters of multi-modal expression, making the digital and physical worlds one story.

References:

Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2009). “Multiliteracies”: New literacies, new learning. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4(3), 164–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/15544800903076044

Dritsas, E., Trigka, M., Troussas, C., & Mylonas, P. (2025). Multimodal interaction, interfaces, and communication: A survey. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 9(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti9010006

Holloway, S. M., & Qaisi, R. (2022). Composing meaning through multiliteracies and multimodality with adolescent and adult learners. Language and Literacy, 24(2), 85–106. https://doi.org/10.20360/langandlit29587

Lim, F. V., Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2022). A metalanguage for learning: Rebalancing the cognitive with the socio-material. Frontiers in Communication, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2022.830613

The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60–92.

The Future of Connection: Exploring Spatial Computing through Multimodality