Virtual Reality and Embodiment in Multimodal Meaning Making

Immersive virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming widespread in education, yet research of VR technologies for students’ multimodal communication an emerging area writing and literacies scholarship. Likewise, the significance new ways embodied meaning making environments undertheorized—a gap that requires attention given potential broadened use sensorium language literacy learning. This classroom investigated composition using paint program Google Tilt Brush™ with 47 elementary school students (ages 10–11 years) a head-mounted display motion sensors. Multimodal analysis video, screen capture, think-aloud data attended to sensory-motor affordances constraints embodiment. Modal were immateriality text, disembodiment, somatosensory mismatch between physical worlds. Potentials forms representation involved extensive bodily, haptic, locomotive movement. The findings are significant cognition points sensorimotor action as basis communication.