Abstract
There is little doubt that the proliferation of computer-based technologies has brought about profound changes to social and educational contexts over the past two decades. In classroom contexts, learners today rely heavily on the Internet as a source of information, often turning to the Internet rather than books when gathering information. This study delves into the need to innovate the teaching of online literacy in higher learning institutions in Malaysia. Highlighting the criticality to develop the necessary Internet research skills is paramount as learners will be left unsupported in developing the literacies they need in the new learning environment if educators fail to recognise this problem. To further investigate the issue at hand, a focus group interview was carried out with instructors from several public universities in Malaysia to investigate their current online-based research practices in ESL classrooms. The findings indicate that majority of the participants agree that online literacy should be taught explicitly in the classroom. The outcome of this study should help in addressing the need to systematically and explicitly develop the skills and knowledge that are necessary for learners to engage in online-based research effectively. This study also puts forward recommendations on how online-based research activities can be innovated in the ESL classroom.
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Sain, N., Nawi, S.M., Mustafa, H.R., Kadir, H. (2016). Investigating the Needs for Innovative Online-Based Research Practices in the ESL Classrooms. In: Fook, C., Sidhu, G., Narasuman, S., Fong, L., Abdul Rahman, S. (eds) 7th International Conference on University Learning and Teaching (InCULT 2014) Proceedings. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-664-5_52
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