The Development of Foundational and New Literacies with Digital Tools Across the European Higher Education Area

Abstract

The 21st century EFL writing classroom continues to transform from one that focuses on the building blocks of being able to write, to one that is characterised by a view that writing is digitally-informed and led. This paper synthesises research that documents the perceived gains of using digital tools to, on the one hand, improve students’ foundational literacies in English writing, and on the other hand, to develop ‘new’ digitally oriented literacies that exist and arise from the use of these tools. The focus of the synthesis is on member countries that are included in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) initiative. The paper presents a systematic review of studies in international and local journals from 2000 - 2020. The review provides an overview of the foci of the studies, the types of writing, tasks and technologies being used, the approaches taken to evaluate and provide feedback on students’ writing, and the influence digital literacies may have on fostering these foundational literacies. The paper concludes by considering gaps in the EHEA landscape and offers recommendations for further development.

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