Abstract
The transition through the first year of university study is challenging for the majority of students. For students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds, commencing studies in an English-Medium Instruction (EMI) university program presents a number of specific challenges. These students are faced with meeting both language demands as well as learning expectations of the institution, which often differ markedly from their previous formal learning experiences. Developing CALD students’ digital literacy practices has been shown to lead to improved academic performance, success and retention in some higher education settings. This paper focuses on the digital literacy practices of undergraduates at a national public university in a Gulf State. Results from a survey and focus groups are analysed to identify the students’ access to and use of digital technologies, in order to better understand how their academic success can be enhanced through digital literacy development. The study identifies a disconnect between students’ perceptions of their digital capabilities and the institutional requirements for study. The research recommends that providing integrated, institution-wide digital literacy development focused on accessing, assessing and incorporating online resources in their work, will help improve transitioning CALD students’ preparedness for undergraduate study in this and other EMI universities.
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Notes
Transition pedagogy of first year students addresses the challenges of a wide range of first year cohorts through emphasising the importance of institutional responses which encourage student engagement, developmental support, and belonging (Kift 2015; Nelson et al. 2012; Zepke 2013). Of these three approaches developmental support is the focus of this paper.
Higher-order processes in learning include systematic decision making, evaluative thinking and rule usage (Hickendorff et al. 2009).
These include media; information, and ICT literacy; digital scholarship; communications and collaboration; learning skills, and career and identity management.
This special issue of Learning, Media and Technology surveys the use and impact of social media on education.
Humanities and Social Sciences; Business and Economics; Education, Science, Engineering; Medicine and Health Sciences; Food and Agriculture; IT, and; Law and; University College. In addition, it has the College of Graduate Studies.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Senior College and University Commission); an accrediting body based in the USA.
An EMSAT minimum score of 1250; a TOEFL minimum score of IBT = 70 / ITP = 525 or an IELTS minimum score of 5.5.
487 students were invited to take the survey using a link sent via emails. 360 started the survey, of which 344 completed it, giving a response rate of 70%. The survey was administered in several different classes during which the researcher and research assistants were present.
Participants in focus groups also commented favourably on blended learning, citing advantages such as replaying videos, working remotely, catching up on missed classes, etc.
They were given the American Library Association (1989) definition after the concept had been introduced and were given an opportunity to explore what digital literacy meant.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the students that took part in this research, as survey respondents and focus groups participants and to faculty who allowed for the survey to be conducted in their classes. We would also like to thank Zayed Mohammed Musaed and Rouan Khalil Kara who worked as Research Assistants on the project.
Author contributions (CrediT)
Sameera Ahmed: Conceptualisation, Methodology, Software, Data curation, Writing - Reviewing and Editing, Funding acquisition.
Thomas Roche: Conceptualisation, Formal analysis; Writing - Original draft preparation. Writing- Reviewing and Editing, Visualisation., Validation.
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The research was funded by the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), grant number G00002655.
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Ahmed, S.T., Roche, T. Making the connection: Examining the relationship between undergraduate students’ digital literacy and academic success in an English medium instruction (EMI) university. Educ Inf Technol 26, 4601–4620 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10443-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10443-0