CLT #3: Annotated Bibliography - Multiliteracies, Multimodalities, & Differentiation

Kim Baglot

Dousay, T.A. (2017). Defining and differentiating the makerspace. Educational

Technology, 57(2), 69-74.

Dousay's article (2017) seeks to encourage educational institutions to explore how informal
aspects of makerspaces create conflict when introduced into formal educational
settings—arguing that schools must determine how to incorporate the informal learning of
makerspaces into traditional educational settings to create powerful learning opportunities.

Using a qualitative approach, Dousay centres her argument on the interconnection of

constructivism, constructionism, collaborative learning, and problem-based learning (PBL) and,
in turn, the mentality of an authentic maker. Four aspects of makerspaces – location, tools and
technology, access, and staffing – are examined for how they individually differ in makerspaces.
By contrasting makerspaces with typical vocational workshops found in most schools, she
claims that makerspaces can help ease the transition from traditional instructional methods to
more learner-centred approaches. As a result, Dousay presents a framework merging these
aspects of makerspaces into a single multi-dimensional model. Using examples from
established makerspaces, Dousay explains how the framework features work in different
settings, offering a valuable lens through which to examine makerspaces in various settings.

The article asserts that this approach to makerspaces provides a means for overcoming the
challenges of implementing authentic makerspaces in formal education settings, making PBL
easier to adapt while simultaneously bridging informal and formal learning. Further supporting
Makerspaces as a valuable teaching strategy for creating an authentic learning experience for
students while emphasizing that to attain sustainability, school-based makerspaces must
continuously evaluate and evolve or risk becoming obsolete spaces.

Nevertheless, Dousay (2017) provided limited data, comparing only two concrete examples, the
WyoMakers makerspace at the University of Wyoming and Jackson Hole High School,
Wyoming. Additionally, no specific criteria are provided to help educators navigate the
makerspaces in the framework to choose the best fit for their formal education settings. More
clarity and detail in these areas are needed to increase the robustness of this study and focus
on long-term sustainability when incorporating makerspaces to avoid them becoming the next
outdated educational technology trend.
Hughes, J. & Morrison, L. (2014). At the intersection of critical digital literacies, YAL and
literature circles. ALAN Review, 42(1), 35-43.

Hughes and Morrison's (2014) article examines the effect that digital text creation specifically
focused on social justice, referenced as critical digital literacies (CDL), has on adolescent
learning. By allowing the students to become agents of change through CDL in literature circles,
the researchers hoped to understand the relationship between digital media and students'
reflective mentality to critically identify and analyze situations of inequality and injustice.

Hughes and Morrison utilized a three-year qualitative case study to examine how literacy
activities enhance adolescent students' global consciousness and awareness of social justice
issues. This qualitative case study utilized a focus group of five affluent middle school classes.
Using various digital devices, students engaged in literature circles focused on engaging texts
from three categories: Children & War, Body Image & the Media and Bullying & Cyberbullying.
Students communicated and shared their work in class and on online platforms. During each
research phase, teaching methodologies and data for the three social justice categories were
analyzed weekly based on class observations, focus groups, and evaluation of the digital texts
created by students.

The study found that CDL pedagogy improved student collaboration and promoted
inquiry-based learning within the classroom. Hughes and Morrison share that "understanding
how positive choices contribute to a social consciousness and how negative choices lead to
misunderstandings and conflict, we can help adolescents embrace our global society."
Furthermore, teachers began to adopt a facilitator role rather than authoritative, as students
"became active agents in their learning processes."

This study clearly outlines the resources, tools, and strategies used to increase student
engagement in digital tools and activism. However, one limitation of this study is the exclusion of
participants' demographic information. This study would benefit from being reproduced with
different demographics and socioeconomic contexts to see if the findings are reproducible.