In an Irish national setting, the urgent need to address the national language
skills' shortage has been highlighted in numerous arenas, and in the context
of the need for a continued economic recovery, language skills and
proficiency are essential. Against this backdrop, the national project*
reported in this paper aims to develop a digital literacies framework and
accompanying on-line interactive resource for language learners and
teachers in Irish higher education (HE). Within the scope of this project the
target user groups include first year students, study abroad students, and
language lecturers. The main research questions for the project are:
• what are the main practical issues that students have when making
the transition from secondary to third level language study?
•to what extent are digital literacies part of the curriculum at third
level and what gaps do students and lecturers identify in this
provision?
•what are the strengths and weaknesses of the emerging digital
literacies framework for language learning (as identified through
piloting and evaluation) and how do these inform the final design
and implementation of the ‘digilanguages’ platform?
Preliminary primary pilot research conducted in 2015 as part of the project
identified a number of key areas where online flexible support is best
focussed. Based on these findings and international research in the field, the
aim of the project is to develop online resources and activities in three broad
areas:
1. Digital Literacies for Language Development
2. Language Learning Strategies and Practices
3.Transitions to Third Level Language Learning Environments
The portal will be freely available, offering a range of OERs and will be
scalable for use in other contexts. The contents and activities will afford
integration into many programmes currently on offer in Irish HE.
History
Publication
2nd International Conference on Higher Education Advances, HEAd’16;pp, 390-397