multimodal analysis

Today, Digital technology not only helps its users in every walk of life to address human limitations but also to control and direct their ideologies. Hence, the novel concept of advanced Transhumanism is prevalent. This Study seeks to explore the possibilities of conducting research in the field of Human Language and Digital Technology amidst related fields. The article presents theoretical concepts and methodological tools from multimodal analysis that allow the readers to gain new insights into the study of electronic literature and the difference between a monomodal and multimodal children literature. The data for this article comes from Grimm brothers’ transcribed tale named “Little Red Riding Hood” directly from fairy tale narrated by their villagers and the digital novel “red riding hood” from the 1st Collection of Electronic Literature. The discussion and analysis part of the project explains how various modes can be used to convey the underlying meanings clearly and create a single masterpiece which is suggested as a new form of literature.Since the definition of literature does not match with this innovative form, the article suggests that it should be revised again, which says that literature is anything written, in an artistic form of human expressions in an organized manner. But, as far as a multimodal piece of work is concerned, it is a combination of distinct (mono)modal structures such as sounds, visual images, spatial and textual evidence. These all modes are shown in red riding hood specifically and the other literary works in the 1st Collection of Electronic Literature in general.Since, in Pakistan, the investigations in this field are rare so it provides the basis for future studies in the field of human language and digital technology and other above mentioned related areas. Also, this research can open up new ways for immersive literacy and for the researchers to focus on the innovative immersive literacy, its need, impacts, social consequences, and other possible transformations it requires for the born-digital generation.

(Source: authors' own abstract)

«Like Reading a Movie»: Students' Reading of Electronic Literature This thesis is an empirical investigation of students' reading of electronic literature. The main goal has been to study the skills required to get the most out of this kind of literature. Theoretical approaches include reader-oriented theories, where Jonathan Cullen and his concept of literary competence creates an overall basis, and media-specific theories, particularly parts of the multimodal theory derived from a social semiotic perspective. The theoretical framework also includes perspectives from researchers who have written about e- literary competence. The empirical evidence has been collected through qualitative research interviews with five 17-year-old students attending the branch of general studies performed after lessons. The students read episode 1 and 3 of Inanimate Alice by Kate Pullinger and Chris Joseph, and part 1 and 2 of Nightingale's Playground by Andy Campbell and Judi Alston. The theme of the interviews focused on how the respondents perceived these texts, and to what extent they benefited from them. The fact that the survey is carried out in a school context, is emphasized in the thesis. The study shows that these respondents do not find electronic literature as difficult to perceive as much previous research shows. They showed good control of both the navigation and the plot. One reason for this is that the texts these students read, do not have a typical hypertextual structure. About the interplay between the various modalities they showed good understanding. The field, in which the informants have the most room for improvement, is in the thesis described as the area of general literary competence. This applies especially when reflecting on the contents of the texts. Thus, one can see the e-literary competence more in the context of traditional literary skills than as something entirely new. Electronic literature in school can act as a link between leisure culture and school culture and thus help strengthen students' literary skills that can be useful in terms of both electronic and printed literature.

Source: Author's Abstract

From the publication:

In her article "Towards a Multimodal Analysis of da Rimini's Dollspace" Maya ZalbideaPaniagua analyzes Francesca da Rimini's Dollspace <http://dollyoko.thing.net/&gt; (1997-2001). By analyzing Dollspace Zalbidea Paniagua reinforces the proposition that studies on material aesthetics and intermediality encompass a process of rethinking the notion of boundaries across material structures. This is clearly shown in da Rimini's Dollspace, where ambivalence cuts across discursive genres and distinct material formats of image, text, and audio. Hypertext engages the user/participant in a dialogue with the machine and, in the case of Dollspace, across people's sexual attitudes. Dollspace seeks to do more than to just shock the user: it wants to haunt its user to become an intersubjectively embodied act.