FOSTERING 21st CENTURY SKILLS USING AN ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM IN AN ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE COURSE

Abstract

Purpose – This study was initiated to explore students’ utilisation of the online discussionforum (ODF) via the university Learning Management System to assist English for Specific Purpose (ESP) students to execute and construct their final group task project, namely the Company Profile (CP). Methodology – A case study guided by Socio constructivism theory and Partnership of the 21st Century Learning Framework was employed. A total of 26 undergraduate students participated voluntarily in the ODF. The group project was carried out virtually among group members in three online sessions. Prior to the project, students were briefed by the instructor and questions were posted to students via the portal in stages to carry out the discussion online. Besides the online postings in the platform, students reflected on their online learning experiences in their reflective journals and took part in the interviews. The findings were qualitatively analysed and reported. Findings – The findings indicated that students value the learning experience and perceived the virtual setting as beneficial in assisting English language learning, as well as fostering the 21st century skills. The data from the online postings, reflective journals and interviews were grouped into several themes which provided significant aspects of their positive inclination in using ODF for their language learning facilitation and fostering of skills. The positive insight and impact on how the ODF assisted the students’ English language learning were realised in students’ Linguistic Attainment. Meanwhile, the idea of Flexibility Trait, Reference for Documentation, Confidence Increase and Attentiveness Provision were identified as influential factors on the students’ optimistic views on the usage of ODF. The students value the learning experience and also view the online environment as an inclusive venue to develop critical thinking, leadership, discipline, time management, and digital skills. Overall, this study revealed that practice in the virtual environment using ODF should be implemented in the English classroom with the belief that such mode of learning would contribute to the development language and enhancement of important skills for their future. Significance: The ODF platform demonstrated the potential for convenience, flexibility, and linguistic advancement amongst students for discussing and sharing knowledge relative to their CP construction and its execution. The non-threatening learning and the conducive atmosphere of their group discussion experience also supported active participation, in which passive participants had more opportunities to express their opinions confidently. Keywords: Online discussion forum; English for Specific Purpose; language learning experience, 21st Century Skills.

Technology-Based Language Learning: Investigation of Digital Technology and Digital Literacy

“…For instance, the use of technologies in the EFL classroom has only been restricted to a didactic manner of teaching and learning in which teaching is based on the provision of electronic teaching materials using personal computers [11,12]. However, digital technology, the driving force of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), is far beyond the use of computers and e-materials, as its effectiveness in improving the learning experience demands compatibility with the learner-centered approach [13]. With the rapid diffusion of the much-anticipated 4IR, it is expected that there will be an impact on not just the economy but also on education [14].…”

The Impact of the COVID-19 on Digital Technology-based Teaching and Learning in English Language Education: A Systematic Review

“…Similarly, such challenges are also evident in studies after COVID, for example, in Pratolo and Solikhati's study conceptualises digital literacy as a social practice and points to some challenges in implementing digital literacy such as lack of time and limited budgets in Indonesian context [37]. Some other examples of while-pandemic studies that have conceptualised digital literacy as socially constructed and consider it helpful for students' successful engagement in the 21st century are Jamalai &Krish's study which focused on Malaysian context [38], Machwate et al's study hat focused on German and Moroccan contexts, and Rifai et al's study [39,40] that focused on Indonesian and Japanese contexts. Although there exists difference in contexts, the conceptualisations of digital literacy are quite similar within each study.…”

Systematic Literature Review of Language Learning Strategies for Reading Skills in English for Specific Purposes among Business Students

“…The metacognitive learning strategies effective for learning ESL include interactive discussions, relying on coursework for guidance, taking notes, using planning to organise thoughts, and practising writing (Jamalai & Krish, 2021). Affective learning strategies focus on the students' attitudes, values, motivations, and perceptions towards learning.…”

“…Other skills include vocabulary and sentence construction and cohesion. Jamalai and Krish (2021) recommended the use of online discussion forums (ODF) to promote linguistic skills through knowledge sharing and discussions on the assigned group tasks. The ODF provides a platform for promoting mastery of sentence construction and cohesion skills as well as language vocabulary.…”