ABSTRACT
Further development of transdisciplinary research in literacy, linguistics, semiotics and science education is crucial as new forms of infographic and animated representations continue to emerge. Infographics, as ensembles of images, such as photographs, diagrams, graphs and maps, with annotations and/or interpolated text, epitomize the current emphasis on the image as the rhetorical locus of paper and digital media texts. We discuss how our multimodal literacy infused science pedagogy (MLISP) framework can enhance student interpretation and creation of infographics and include a case study comparing high- and low-achieving student infographic responses to an examination question to highlight the pedagogic potential of MLISP. Animation is pervasive and evolving in science research, communication and education. We outline frontier research investigating student learning through interacting with 3D animations in immersive virtual reality to draw attention to the integral role of new forms of multimodal representation as mediating tools in knowledge building in science. We conclude by envisioning possibilities for further research in MLISPs, such as a learning progressions perspective on the role of metalanguage in developing students’ metarepresentational competence and the potential of transdisciplinary research-oriented, intra-subject, cross-grade collaborations within and amongst schools and research communities in pursuing such agendas.
