December | 2017 | Literacies Log

This is posted on behalf of our affiliate member, Dr Lynde Tan, Western Sydney University:

Call for Papers: Language and Education

Special Issue on “Dialogic Inquiry in Multimodal Literacy Education: Joining the Dots between Assessment and Literacy Curriculum”

In the field of literacy education, there has been a shift in defining literacy as a monolithic term to a pluralistic one. Education research is replete with propositions for multiple literacies. The key tenor of the argument is that different domains of life privilege different literacies and they are politically and culturally influenced. Calling attention to the social, cultural and linguistic diversities, literacy researchers continue to emphasize multiple forms of literacy associated with semiotic modes found in the multiplicity of communication channels and media. The social outcomes of literacy learning are the central thrust of the ongoing debates that justify reforms in literacy curricula. The rallying call for 21st century skills to be embedded in curricula is intensified as heavier emphasis is placed on producing workers, citizens and community members who are able to respond to the rapidly changing working, public and private lives in a technological and globalised world.

While reforms in literacy curricula are taking shape progressively all over the world, less is observed in assessment. As the notion of literacy expands, we need to review how literacies are being assessed. Emerging conceptualizations of literacies raise questions about the lacuna – How do educational authorities reform curricula and assessment in tandem? How do schools cope with assessing 21st century skills when outcome-based curricula tend to foreground assessment of skills that are easier and more convenient to measure? What are the proven ways for implementing multimodal assessments across curriculum? Are there compelling evidence that standardised testing is fulfilling the promise of education to help every child meets his or her potential?

We acknowledge the need to better understand how literacies can be and should be assessed. This special issue intends to examine ways of assessing multiple literacies that are relevant to the 21st century contexts. We are looking for articles that explore ways of assessing literacies that are responsive to, but not limited to, multimodal and digital learning environments.

We welcome contributions that are related but not limited to the following topics:

Multimodal assessments across content areas
Assessing new and /or digital literacies, including 21st century skills
Assessment literacies as part of teacher professional knowledge, practice and engagement
Challenges and issues in assessing multimodal literacies

Contributions should be based on empirical studies that represent an international perspective. Please send an expression of interest to the Guest Editors with a 500-word abstract in a Microsoft Word.doc attachment, outlining the content of the proposed paper.

The Guest Editors will review abstracts and invite authors to submit full papers, approximately 6000 words, for this special issue. Invited authors are advised to comply with the journal’s instructions for authors. Each full paper submitted will be peer blind reviewed by at least one expert in the field.

Important Due Dates

Submission of abstract: 31 January 2018

Submission of proposal to journal editors: 15 March 2018

Notification of proposal acceptance by the journal editors: 30 April 2018 (To be confirmed by journal editors)

Notification of paper acceptance to authors/Paper review agreement: 15 May 2018

Submission of full papers: 31 July 2018

Blind reviews to authors: 15 September 2018

Revised manuscript due: 31 October 2018

Expected publication: 2020 (To be confirmed by journal editors)

Special Issue Guest Editors

Lynde Tan

Email: lynde.tan@westernsydney.edu.au