Enhancing students’ English and digital literacies through online courses: Benefits and challenges

Abstract

This study aims to examine the benefits of incorporating online courses, MyELT, for General English (GE) curricula and to investigate the challenges that negatively affect the expediency of the courses in improving the students’ English proficiency and digital literacy. 351 participants were randomly selected and responded to a questionnaire and out of which 15 were conveniently selected for a semi-structured interview. Qualitative data was also collected through personal journaling to record hidden challenges for the expediency of MyELT. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis. The findings correlated and revealed that MyELT courses were beneficial in their flexibility as they helped fulfilling GE courses’ description and proportionately improved students’ English proficiency and digital literacy. Neither students’ perceptions nor teachers’ roles and background were challenging factors. The expediency of MyELT was, thus, challenged by four factors namely: teachers’ teaching practices, their inability to mentor students’ performance which further instigated some students to do unethical practices, the company system of accessibility, and MyELT courses content.