Productive Multimodal Communication in Elementary Engineering: Leveraging Intra- and Interpersonal Skills

• In Event: 64.060 - Participation in Interaction: Multimodal Understandings of Interaction in a Range of Education Settings

Abstract

Objective
Using the Productive Communication Model (PCM) (Authors, 2017), this research examines underrepresented elementary-aged students’ (females, minorities, and English Language Learners, or ELLs) use of intra and interpersonal skills when they engaged in problem solving using the engineering design process in an after school engineering club.
Theoretical Perspectives
We take a multimodal (Kress, 2010; Norris, 2004) and material (Pahl & Rowsell, 2010) perspective when analyzing students use of intra and interpersonal skills. As such, we consider multiple modes of communication (e.g., gesture, gaze, words, body proxemics) because focusing on talk fails to fully depict the nature of communication. We drew upon research behind inter and intrapersonal skills students need to engage in a productive manner (Gutierrez et al., 1999) and social semiotic multimodality perspectives (Jewitt, 2008).
The framework for analyzing students intra and interpersonal is also informed by the PCM (see Figure 1). The design of the PCM reflects Noddings’ (1994) ethics of care, which foregrounds the development of moral education consisting of four components: modeling, dialogue, practice, and confirmation. Teachers actively worked to expand embodied interactions to resist limiting language, actions, materials, and activities in order to promote access for all students to the field of engineering.
Methods

This case study (Stake, 1995) is part of a three-year interdisciplinary design-based research (Brown, 1992) project conducted with third graders at a school serving a diverse community in a first-ring northeastern suburb.

Data sources and analysis. Data were collected over eight weeks at the club that met twice-weekly. Sources consisted of audio, video, field notes, photos, student artifacts, and analytic notes over three sessions. Using the PCM framework for deductive analysis (Miles & Huberman, 1994), we engaged in multimodal analysis (Norris, 2004) of student interactions as they negotiated solutions to the posed bridge problem. With operational definitions and key productive communication markers identified, coding began with video data, incorporating analytic memos taken throughout viewing. Focal examples were analyzed for productive communication markers, instances of communicative skill usage and PCM-supported student negotiations.

Findings
Multimodal interactional analysis indicated that purposeful teaching of intra and interpersonal skill development through use of the PCM resulted in 1) team consensus building; 2) student agency and space to think, manipulate, and reflect upon the engineering process; 3) the reinforcement of key concepts of the EDP, engineering habits of mind, and academic discussion; and 4) surfacing of intra-personal traits, such as empathy, reflection, and kindness.
Significance
Inter and intrapersonal skills are crucial to children’s development of civil deliberation and democratic inclusive open-mindedness, increasing children’s abilities to critically analyze facts and internalize processes. These traits guide students and promote agency as they negotiate opinions and ideas with teammates. Unlike the present elementary engineering curricula, we argue that the learning of inter and intra personal skills cannot be assumed (Donato, Tucker, Wudthayarorn & Igarashi, 2000), but must be taught through modelling, multimodal dialogue, practice, and confirmation of the discipline specific aspects of engineering

Authors

• Kate Haq, Independent Scholar

• Lynn Shanahan, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Mary B. McVee, University at Buffalo - SUNY