A social semiotic approach to identifying critical aspects
International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies
ISSN: 2046-8253
Article publication date: 13 July 2015
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a social semiotic approach to analysing objects of learning in terms of their critical aspects.
Design/methodology/approach
The design for this paper focuses on how the semiotic resources – including language, equations, and diagrams – that are commonly used in physics teaching realise the critical aspects of a common physics object of learning. A social semiotic approach to the analysis of a canonical text extract from optics is presented to illustrate how critical aspects can be identified.
Findings
Implications for university teaching and learning of physics stemming from this social semiotic approach are suggested.
Originality/value
Hitherto under-explored similarities between the Variation Theory of Learning, which underpins learning studies, and a social semiotic approach to meaning-making are identified. These similarities are used to propose a new, potentially very powerful approach to identifying critical aspects of objects of learning.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding from the Swedish Research Council is gratefully acknowledged. The authors would also like to thank Jesper Haglund for his comments on an earlier version of this paper, and Anne Linder for her valuable theoretical and extensive editorial comments.
Citation
Fredlund, T., Linder, C. and Airey, J. (2015), "A social semiotic approach to identifying critical aspects", International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp. 302-316. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-01-2015-0005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited