Developing Multimodal Literacy through Infographics: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

In modern Pakistani educational context, knowledge is not only reading and writing conventional text books, moreover it is now upgraded to ability to interpret and construct meaning through semiotic ways. This long drawn out understanding, commonly referred to modern learning system as multimodal literacy. It has become a potent fashion in digital facilitated learning environment especially for masters and graduation classes. The present study investigates usefulness of multimodal pedagogical approach based on infographic instruction, approach for infographics and multimodal literacy in BS level students. Adopting modern theory like multiliteracies framework and a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design, two same intact groups were selected of BS, an experiment group taught through infographics based on various topics like types of meaning, world englishes concepts designed by researcher, and other control group is taught through the conventional syllabus books and notes. Both group received same content in same time and have equal instructional time period. Data were collected through their test which was conducted before and after experiment measuring content comprehension and multimodal literacy and infographics in contrast with traditional educational techniques and notes. The data were analysed through descriptive statistics and inferential analysis using an independent samples test. The results and findings indicates that both groups have good performance, but the experimental group achieved significantly higher good results, which highlighting the effectiveness and authenticity of info graphic based instruction as a contemporary methodological alternative to text centre syllabus. The study concludes that applying multimodal instructional methodological, such as info graphics, can meaningfully enhance literacy development in higher education and BS university level students.