Multimodal transduction in secondary school physics

Teaching always involves the use of a range of modes (see for example discussion in Bezemer & Kress, 2008). Nowhere is this more apparent than in the teaching of physics, where semiotic resources such as spoken and written language, graphs, diagrams, mathematics, hands on work with apparatus, etc., all need to be appropriately orchestrated in order for students to construct established disciplinary meanings (Lemke, 1998). In this respect it has been argued that there is a critical constellation of modes that is needed for construction of any given disciplinary concept; and that it is the development of “fluency” of translation (transduction) between these modes that makes learning possible (Airey & Linder, 2009). Building on this work, we video-filmed secondary physics students working with a laboratory task designed to encourage transduction when learning about coordinate systems. Students worked with a small electronic measurement device, IOLab that can be held in the hand. IOLab is linked wirelessly to a computer, which in this case was used to graphically display the x, y and z components of the Earth’s magnetic field. Our intention was for students to practice linking the static representations of coordinate systems in their textbooks to dynamic, real-time changes in the x, y and z values displayed on the computer screen as they manipulated the IOLab. Preliminary data analysis confirms that the introduction of the IOLab device did indeed promote the desired transduction. However, we also report another finding. The IOLab appeared to function as a catalyst for transduction into an unexpected mode—gesture—with coordinate systems being represented using arms and legs. Based on these preliminary findings, we suggest that one of the pedagogical affordances (Airey, 2015) of the IOLab device may be facilitating the introduction of gesture into the physics laboratory. A reference list is included at the end of the presentation and in a separate file named References