Supporting engagement and comprehension online through multiple means of expression

In online learning settings text remains the primary, sometimes only medium in which discussion takes place. However, recent advances in web standards and technologies now enable images and user-recorded audio to be seamlessly integrated into online tools, and research in multimedia composition suggests that allowing multiple media in discussions may lead to higher student engagement and more varied expression. This paper examines the use of, and reactions to, a discussion area that includes the ability to audio record or draw as well as type, implemented within a classroom tool that uses the principles of Universal Design for Learning to engage and support struggling readers. We find wide variability in how the tools are perceived and used, but promising results from a range of students in inclusive, remedial, and substantially separate classrooms.