AN INVESTIGATION OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF MULTILITERATE ASSIGNMENTS USING 21ST-CENTURY TECHNOLOGIES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS IN CHINA

Abstract

This study aims to survey the perceptions of students and educators on the use of multiliterate assignments involving 21st-century technologies in Chinese universities. With the widespread use of digital tools and multimodal approaches to learning, it has become essential for any researcher and scholar to investigate how such innovations are perceived by key stakeholders in the educational process. Specifically, it investigates the influence of multiliterate tasks on students' engagement and learning as well as the skills required in modern society by a worker. Two open-ended questionnaires, one for the students and the other for the teachers, were conducted to explore which pedagogical challenges or benefits students and teachers perceive that are involved when using such assignments, considering particularly how these tasks contribute to the development of critical 21st-century skills. Students looked to creativity and problem-solving as keys to finishing the project, especially in the case of multimodal assignments. Teachers' priorities centre on critical thinking, communication, and technological competency. A divergence in perspectives is however noted between teachers who tend to focus more on non-technological skills and the students, who centred on digital fluency and creativity. The study concludes that multiliterate assignments provide much more than just the triumph of knowledge mastery. These assignments encourage students to practice the practical application of 21st-century skills, fitting them for success in this digitally connected world. The study further suggests the need for further pedagogical development focusing on optimizing the design and delivery of these assignments so that they enhance content knowledge and essential life skills.