Designing Digital Multimodal Resources for the Kindergarten: From Intuition to Awareness

Abstract

The study adapts McNeill and Robin’s (2012) evaluation system for digital story design to identify preservice kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of its process and product aspect. Conducted within the course Pedagogy of Construction and Technology, the empirical study involves self-, peer, and expert evaluation of custom-designed multimodal educational digital ensembles. Significant differences across these evaluation axes emerge in the indicators clarity and cohesion, the capacity of the resource to render symbolic/metaphorical meanings, and students’ consideration of the audience’s age-related capabilities. Unlike students, experts manifest a more pronounced criticism, because their evaluation draws on their experience and perception of the applicability of the resources. To contextualize the three axes of evaluation, focus group discussions were conducted exploring students’ intentions related to goal setting, preparation, the author’s presence, and the multimodal modes of expression. A lack of specialized technological knowledge was established for effective use of multimedia software. Inconsistencies in students’ perception of the storyboarding process were also identified, along with an orientation to the audience’s motivation rather than to their age-related characteristics. These findings highlight the need for a systematic design of university courses in educational multimodal digital design for Education majors.