Xiaoning Chen
Abstract: From the socio-semiotic perspective, this paper intends to examine the impact of technology on multimodal design of digital picture books. The study analyzes 26 digital picture books completed by pre-service teachers in a Literacy Methods course, and identifies three key categories, which are static multimodal semiotic resources, dynamic multimodal semiotic resources, and usability features, that reshape the elements of written language, visual image, design, and the overall reading experience of digital books. This study has research and pedagogical implications. The results of the study contribute to the limited understanding of how digital texts emerge as a new form of visual literacy and how technology has a significant impact on the multimodal design and meaning making process. The study also appeals to educators as it has a close connection to the Common Core State Standards (2011), which places a strong emphasis on students’ abilities to recognize, interpret, and evaluate the information represented through diverse media and formats. Effective literacy strategies to support children’s interpretations of multimodal digital texts are discussed to support the construction of a dynamic and active reader’s role in navigating “new textual landscapes” (Carrington, 2005).