{"id":1134675,"date":"2023-05-02T05:43:18","date_gmt":"2023-05-02T09:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1134675"},"modified":"2023-05-02T05:43:18","modified_gmt":"2023-05-02T09:43:18","slug":"integrating-primary-computing-and-literacy-through-multimodal-storytelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1134675","title":{"rendered":"Integrating primary computing and literacy through multimodal storytelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Broadening participation and finding new entry points for young people to engage with computing is part of how we pursue our mission here at the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It was also the focus of our March online seminar, led by our own Dr Bobby Whyte. In this third seminar of our series on computing education for primary-aged children<\/a>, Bobby presented his work on \u2018designing multimodal composition activities for integrated K-5 programming and storytelling\u2019. In this research he explored the integration of computing and literacy education, and the implications and limitations for classroom practice.<\/p>\n

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Motivated by challenges Bobby experienced first-hand as a primary school teacher, his two studies on the topic contribute to the body of research aiming to make computing less narrow and difficult<\/a>. In this work, Bobby integrated programming and storytelling as a way of making the computing curriculum more applicable, relevant, and contextualised.<\/p>\n

Critically for computing educators and researchers in the area, Bobby explored how theories related to \u2018programming as writing\u2019 translate into practice, and what the implications of designing and delivering integrated lessons in classrooms are. While the two studies described here took place in the context of UK schooling, we can learn universal lessons from this work.<\/p>\n

What is multimodal composition?<\/h2>\n

In the seminar Bobby made a distinction between applying computing to literacy (or vice versa) and true integration of programming and storytelling. To achieve true integration in the two studies he conducted, Bobby used the idea of \u2018multimodal composition\u2019 (MMC). A multimodal composition is defined as<\/a> \u201ca composition that employs a variety of modes, including sound, writing, image, and gesture\/movement [\u2026 with] a communicative function\u201d.<\/p>\n

Storytelling comes together with programming in a multimodal composition as learners create a program to tell a story where they:<\/p>\n