Multimodality: A panacea during the COVID-19 mayhem

Abstract

This paper explores best practices for presenting multimodal teaching and learning strategies to assist students in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The inclusion of multimodality in programmes of study would enhance diversity of teaching and learning processes and provides higher education institutions with valuable opportunities for the innovative use of different educational technologies in interactive learning environments. The effectiveness of online teaching and learning requires proper information and communication technologies infrastructure. — a shift to an online mode of teaching and learning will assist students develop a multimodal digital literacy. The COVID-19 mayhem prompted the researcher to conduct a study concerning multimodality. The focus of this paper is located within the qualitative research approach using the purposeful sampling technique. The respondents were academics and students from a university in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The intention was to obtain online teaching and learning strategies and discuss online methodologies of academics and students. A focus-group interview was conducted with academics and six students from second year students across faculties. A case study approach was applied and analysed using a thematic analysis process. The findings obtained in this study revealed that, as much as there were challenges during COVID-19, both students and academics were able to continue with their teaching and learning activities due to the application of multimedia resources, such as Moodle and WhatsApp. However, various media platforms have played significant roles during lockdown, acting as tools for teaching and learning to continue, even accommodating students from remote areas.