The survey conducted with the students shows that the students understand the concept of multimodality and they can, for the most part, recognize different modes of communication. When asked to name different modes of communication, besides language, most students concentrated on sign language and gestures/body language, only a handful named images (still and moving) and sound while no one named space as a mode of communication. Some students even confused communication devices with modes.
The task where they had to recognize the modes of communication showed that they can recognize different modes. Their weak point remained space as a mode of communication. The majority of them didn’t recognize space communication mode in music videos and video games.
When asked whether they can produce a multimodal text, the majority of students said they could not or were not sure if they could because they had never learned how to. This is the area that needs to be worked on. Students are not sure yet what multimodal texts are.
The positive thing is that the students recognize the importance of multimedia. They understand that it helps them understand things better and that it makes learning more interesting. They think multimodal literacy will help them understand how media shapes the world. They think it can help them develop their skills and better understand the way the world functions.
Students reflected on their experience with Media Literacy, Creative Drama, and Digital Storytelling. They think digital multimedia helps them learn but fewer than 40% have attempted to tell a story using digital tools. Drama activities are even less used and students don’t seem motivated to take part in them. According to students, a great majority of students rarely take part in drama activities and what is interesting, more than half are not motivated to take part in drama activities. It is clear from the survey that only a handful of students take part in drama activities in their classes and they are not sure what they can expect. As for Media Literacy, more than half of the students have believed fake news at some point although half of them believe they would recognize fake news. They seem aware of the importance of the topic and their constant exposure to different types of media. These answers have shown us that it is important to work on Media Literacy, Creative Drama, and Digital Storytelling methodology to improve students’ competencies and ensure their multimodal literacy.