A contested space: The dialogic intersection of ICT, multiliteracies, and early childhood

Abstract

If students are to be equipped with skills necessary to meet the challenging and diverse demands of different forms of communication brought about by the introduction of new technologies, then a broader definition of literacy is required. A pedagogy of multiliteracies recognises that there are multiple modes of representation that communicate meaning beyond language alone. As debate on information and communication technology (ICT) integration and literacy definition intensifies, early childhood teachers contemplate how they will accommodate these changes. How will early childhood education facilitate young children's use of ICT to support multiliteracies learning? This study investigated how two Western Australian teachers integrated ICT to support multiliteracies learning in early childhood classrooms. Two case studies, constructed over a nine-month period and employing ethnographic methodology, illustrated how different curricular, pedagogical, and classroom designs impact on children's early literacy experiences. An analysis across the two cases illuminated how different pedagogy, definitions, support, resources and curriculum shaped the dialogic intersection of ICT and multiliteracies in early childhood education.