THE COMPUTER LAB AS A TOOL FOR MULTIPLE LITERACIES

Abstract

This article discusses the computer lab as a pedagogical tool for the development of multiple literacies in the school context, considering the demands of digital culture and contemporary practices of reading and meaning-making. The study aimed to understand how this space can expand repertoires, foster authorship and critical thinking, and strengthen digital literacy practices when integrated into the curriculum and mediated by teacher intentionality. The methodology adopted was bibliographic research, with the collection and analysis of academic works and productions on multiliteracies, digital literacy, technology in education, and national curriculum guidelines. The results indicate that the computer lab has a greater formative impact when it goes beyond mechanical uses and begins to support activities of guided research, critical reading of sources, multimodal production, and collaboration among students, allowing technology to function as a means for learning and not just as an operational resource. It was also observed that the effectiveness of this space depends on pedagogical mediation, collective planning, process evaluation, and minimum operating conditions, such as maintenance and institutional organization. It is concluded that, when used consistently and purposefully, the computer lab contributes to forming more autonomous and critical students, capable of participating in social language practices across different media, making the school more connected to reality and more equitable in terms of opportunities.