MULTIMODALAUS UGDYMO ELEMENTŲ RAIŠKA SKAITMENINĖJE PLATFORMOJE „SMAGU SKAITYTI“
EXPRESSION OF THE MULTIMODAL EDUCATION ON THEDIGITAL PLTFORM “SMAGU SKAITYTI”

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the expression of elements of multimodal education in the digital platform “Smagu skaityti”. The platform is designed for preschool and pre-primary education and combines digitized books with interactive educational activities. It is based on the principle of interactive reading, where the original text and illustrations of children’s books are supplemented with sound effects, songs, visual materials, video elements, questions, and educational tasks. Such a structure makes the platform a relevant case for analysing how multimodal educational elements are embedded in a digital learning environment intended for young children. The object of the study is the expression of multimodal education elements in the content of the digital platform “Smagu skaityti”. The aim of the study is to reveal how the concept of multimodal education is manifested in the platform’s content and tasks. The research addresses the following questions: how are elements of multimodal education expressed in the digital platform “Smagu skaityti”; which multimodal elements are most characteristic of the platform; and what additional elements or materials could further enrich its content.The study was conducted from January to May 2025. It employed an instrumental single- case study strategy, which was chosen because it allows an in-depth exploration of a specific case in order to illuminate a broader educational issue. The selected case was the digital platform “Smagu skaityti”, chosen because of its relevance to the research problem, its orientation toward preschool and pre-primary education, and the breadth of its multimodal content. Data were collected through document analysis. In this study, documents were understood as individual elements of the platform’s content: digitized books and the educational interactive activities and tasks associated with them.Four digitized books and 166 their related activities were selected for analysis. Tasks that were duplicated, incomplete, or lacking sufficient content were excluded. Data collection followed a pre-structured protocol composed of three analytical blocks: the nature of the digitized content, the possibilities for differentiation within the platform, and the expression of multimodal educational elements in the interactive activities. The present article reports only the results related to the third analytical block. Data were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative content analysis. Deductive coding was employed on the basis of theoretically grounded analytical categories. Quantitative analysis focused on the recurrence of specific task features and content elements, whereas qualitative analysis aimed to identify the forms and functions of multimodal educational elements within the platform.The analysis revealed that the expression of multimodal education in “Smagu skaityti” varies according to the purpose of the tasks and the level of interactivity they create. Three major categories were identified: fact-based tasks, procedural tasks, and conceptual tasks. Fact-based tasks are characterized by presentation-based content. Their primary function is to supplement the original book text, illustrate selected ideas, and support children’s understanding of the content. These tasks typically involve reading, listening, or watching and are expressed through short informative texts, video narratives, songs, and musical video clips. In such cases, multimodality is used to enrich the child’s encounter with the text by providing additional visual and auditory layers. For instance, an object mentioned in the book may be presented not only verbally, but also through its image, a short descriptive explanation, and a natural sound recording. In some cases, knowledge is expanded further through folk songs or game-based video clips, which place the object or phenomenon in a broader cultural context. However, these tasks generally demonstrate passive or limited interactivity, since the child’s role is mainly that of a reader, viewer, or listener, with little opportunity to influence the structure or sequence of the content. Procedural tasks are activity-based and characterized by limited interactivity. In this category, multimodality functions as a principle for organizing action rather than merely presenting information. These tasks invite the child to act according to a given instruction and include activities such as reading and answering, singing and moving, singing and playing, or reciting and moving. The integration of sound, movement, image, and verbal instruction creates a structured activity in which the child becomes more actively involved. Nevertheless, the interaction remains limited, because the tasks follow a predetermined logic and do not allow substantial learner control over content development orfeedback processes. Thus, these tasks occupy an intermediate position between passive presentation and more advanced forms of interaction. Conceptual tasks demonstrate the most complex expression of multimodal education in the platform. These tasks require the child not only to receive information but also to identify, compare, classify, select, count, interpret, and apply it. This category includes sound recognition tasks, counting activities, interactive games, and video-based lessons. Here multimodality functions as a framework for active cognitive engagement. Children are expected to integrate information from several modes and use it in order to understand, respond to, or complete the task. Such activities therefore correspond to a more complex level of interactivity and reveal the strongest multimodal educational potential within the platform. The study also showed that the platform includes certain elements related to accessibility and personalization. Its technological design allows some degree of control over content display and tool use, while visual material is in some cases supported by text or audio. These features correspond to principles of inclusive and learner-oriented design. At the same time, the findings indicate that the platform’s adaptive and interactive potential is not yet fully developed. More advanced forms of interactivity, such as individualized feedback, branching activity structures, or stronger learner control over content, are not sufficiently represented.In conclusion, the findings suggest that multimodal education in the digital platform “Smagu skaityti” is expressed as a meaningful principle of educational content organization. Its significance lies not only in the coexistence of several modes, but in the ways these modes are pedagogically employed to clarify the book text, broaden children’s knowledge through sensory and cultural experience, organize activity, and support interaction. The strongest multimodal potential emerges in tasks that require active learner engagement and combine several forms of perception and action. At the same time, the study points to the need for further development of higher interactivity, adaptability, and personalization in digital learning tools designed for preschool and pre-primary education. As the study is based on a single case and document analysis only, its findings cannot be generalized directly to other contexts. Nevertheless, it provides a detailed analytical perspective on how multimodal educational elements can be structured within a digital platform for young learners and offers a basis for further empirical research on the use of such tools in educational practice.

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