Platform Ecologies and Literacy Practices: Korean Adolescents in U.S.-Based Online Communities

• In Event: Exploring Digital Platforms, Literacy Practices, and Pedagogical Futures from Diverse Perspectives

Abstract

Objectives
In this post-digital era, digital spaces such as social media, online communities, and learning management systems are integrated into our daily lives. However, how these digital spaces are utilized in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms remains underexplored. The purpose of this paper is to examine how South Korean youth engage in literacy practices through U.S.-based online platforms integrated into their afterschool EFL classes. By focusing on the intersection of literacy practices, digital platforms, and Korean adolescents, this research seeks to understand platform ecologies and their influence on young people’s digital literacies. The research question guiding this study is: How do different U.S.-based online platforms shape South Korean adolescents’ literacy practices and engagement in EFL classroom settings?

Perspective(s)
This study is grounded in the frameworks of new literacies (Buckingham, 1993; Knobel & Lankshear, 2014) and New Literacy Studies (Street, 2003), which view literacy practices as evolving with technology and emphasize their social and cultural contexts. The research also incorporates the concept of multiliteracies (New London Group, 1996), recognizing diverse communication modes in a globalized world. These perspectives are crucial for understanding how South Korean adolescents’ literacy practices interact with U.S.-based digital platforms in EFL contexts. By combining these approaches, the study aims to explore the complex relationships between digital technologies, literacy practices, and cultural contexts in EFL learning environments.

Modes of Inquiry & Data Sources
This study uses a design-based research approach (Barab & Squire, 2004; Design-Based Research Collective, 2003) to explore this question through a sociocultural lens. Data were collected from two global online communities for youth, focusing on South Korean high school classrooms where students and teachers engaged with online platforms in their English after-school classes, each lasting one semester. The data sources include students’ and teachers’ posts, interviews, observational notes, and platform interfaces. One class had 10 students and a teacher; the other had 34 students and a teacher. Multiple data sources were analyzed to identify themes and patterns, which were then compared across classrooms to address the research question (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Saldaña, 2016)

Findings and Significance
The analysis reveals that both platforms, primarily English-based and unfamiliar to South Korean adolescents, initially posed challenges during the sign-in process and required some time for users to become accustomed to them. The platform with more interactive features (e.g., discussion boards, collaborative projects) fostered higher levels of student engagement and creative writing. In contrast, the platform with limited interactive features resulted in lower student participation, less creative output, and reduced diversity in writing modes. However, how teachers facilitated platform use in the classroom significantly influenced students’ literacy practices, leading to different outcomes across classes.
This study offers insights into digital and platform literacies by examining underexplored areas and aligns with the conference theme by illustrating how these practices reflect and reshape students’ cultural and linguistic histories while envisioning more inclusive and innovative futures through technology.

Author

• Jin Kyeong Jung, Texas Tech University