Bringing Multimodality to the Classroom: Building Skills for a Diverse Future

High school English classrooms are no longer limited to essays and book reports. Teachers are embracing multimodality—teaching and assessing students through a variety of formats that reflect how communication happens in the real world. Podcasts, infographics, video essays, and graphic novels are no longer just extras; they’re becoming essential ways for students to demonstrate understanding, build multiliteracy skills, and engage more deeply with content. Here are eight multimodal approaches making a real impact in ELA classrooms.

1. Podcasts: Developing Voice and Critical Thinking

Podcasts are an excellent way for students to build speaking and listening skills while exploring ideas creatively. For example, instead of a traditional research paper on social issues, a teacher might assign a podcast episode where students interview peers, integrate sound effects, and present an argument. Students can also create “character interview” podcasts that bring literary figures to life through scripted dialogue, deepening comprehension and analysis.

2. Infographics: Visual Literacy Meets Analysis

Infographics allow students to present information in concise, visual formats. After reading a complex nonfiction article, students can design an infographic that captures main ideas, key statistics, and rhetorical techniques. In literature units, they might create visual timelines of character development or compare themes across multiple works. These tasks encourage analytical thinking while building design and communication skills.

3. Video Essays: Blending Analysis with Creativity

Video essays challenge students to merge visuals, narration, and evidence into cohesive arguments. A Shakespeare unit, for instance, might culminate in students producing a video essay that compares different film adaptations of the same scene. In rhetoric studies, students could deconstruct a political speech, highlighting persuasive strategies with supporting visuals. These projects encourage critical thinking and media literacy alongside traditional essay skills.

4. Graphic Novels and Illustrated Storytelling

Graphic novels have become mainstream in ELA classrooms, valued for their ability to combine text and imagery. Teachers are pairing works like Maus or Persepolis with traditional novels to discuss symbolism, narrative structure, and theme. Students can also create their own illustrated short stories or adapt classic works—like transforming a scene from Macbeth into a comic strip—fostering creativity and comprehension at the same time.

5. Digital Storytelling: Mixing Media for Narrative Impact

Digital storytelling assignments allow students to blend images, text, audio, and video into cohesive narratives. For example, after reading a novel about identity, students might create a digital story that connects personal experiences to the book’s themes. This format not only reinforces literary analysis but also gives students space for self-expression and creative risk-taking.

6. Blogs and Online Journals: Writing for Real Audiences

Blogs and online journals let students practice writing for authentic audiences beyond their teacher. A class blog might feature student book reviews, reflections on current events connected to literature, or serialized short stories. Teachers can encourage students to embed images, hyperlinks, and videos, making their work interactive and relevant. This modality helps students practice voice, style, and audience awareness.

7. Dramatic Performances and Reader’s Theater

Performance remains one of the most powerful ways for students to engage with text. Reader’s Theater, dramatic reenactments, or original playwriting exercises allow students to embody characters, analyze tone, and interpret dialogue. For instance, performing scenes from A Raisin in the Sun or staging modern adaptations of classic works helps students internalize language and explore meaning through performance.

8. Multimedia Presentations: Integrating Research and Creativity

Multimedia presentations, such as interactive slideshows or narrated visual essays, are versatile tools for research-based projects. A student might analyze themes of resilience in world literature by combining text analysis with images, video clips, and music. Teachers can also assign group presentations where each member contributes a different media element, building collaboration as well as content mastery.

Why Multimodality Matters

Bringing multimodality into the classroom isn’t about abandoning traditional essays or tests—it’s about broadening the ways students can show learning. Many students who struggle with long-form essays thrive when asked to design, perform, or create visually. Others discover new strengths, like audio editing or visual storytelling, that connect directly to real-world communication skills. By diversifying assignments, teachers are not only boosting engagement but also preparing students for the multiliteracy demands of college, careers, and everyday life.

Looking Ahead

The 21st century requires students to be flexible communicators across multiple modes—written, oral, visual, and digital. By incorporating podcasts, infographics, video essays, graphic novels, digital stories, blogs, performances, and multimedia presentations, high school English teachers are equipping students with tools that reflect the realities of communication today. Multimodal classrooms aren’t a passing trend; they are a necessary shift toward inclusivity, creativity, and relevance in education.