Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 263 Empowering Digital Language Literacy in Writing Instructions: Lecturers’ and Students’ Voices Masriatus Sholikhah1*, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni2 1STKIP PGRI Jombang, 2Universitas Tidar Indonesia *marish.sholikhah@gmail.com Article History: Submitted on 28th September 2022; Revised on 28th November 2022; Accepted on 12th December 2022; Published date on 31st December 2022 ABSTRACT In facing the metaverse era, technology in language instruction plays an essential role in elevating students’ digital literacy. It leads teachers to integrate digital tools utilization in the instructional context to accommodate the students’ need for productive and meaningful learning. Following this issue, this research explores teachers’ and students’ voices regarding the empowerment of Digital Language Literacy in writing instructions. The research method used in this study is a case study. Researchers administered interviews and questionnaires as data collection instruments in obtaining the data. The open-ended interview was carried out with the lecturers of writing courses. Besides, the close-ended questionnaire was also administered to the students of writing courses. The participants of this current study were 3 lecturers and 40 students from two universities in Indonesia. To uphold the theoretical lens of Digital Language Literacy, this research uses and adapts the theory of Eshat (2004) and Porat, Blau & Barack (2018) as the underlying framework. The results showed the three aspects of lecturers’ and students’ perspectives in which they cover Digital Language Literacy implementation, Digital Language Literacy challenges and opportunities, and the ways to empower Digital Language Literacy in the writing instructions. As a result, the research findings contribute to improving digital language literacy implementation, specifically in teaching writing in EFL Higher Education context. Keywords: digital language literacy, writing instruction, teachers’ and students’ voices. http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 mailto:marish.sholikhah@gmail.com Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 264 INTRODUCTION In recent years, digital literacy has played a pivotal role in all aspects. In the English Language Teaching (ELT) context, digital literacy is transformed into digital language literacy promoted in ELT to fulfill the 21st-century skills and face the Metaverse era. The notion of 21st-century skills refers to students' ability to develop to succeed in the information age (Borja II, 2018). Kim et al. (2019) highlighted six domains of 21st-century skills that cover critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, metacognition, communication, digital and technological literacy, civic responsibility, and global awareness. Furthermore, these 21st-century skills intertwine with the current and future phenomena of a metaverse in education. Conversely, Mystakidis (2022) contend that the Metaverse is a post-reality universe, a perpetual and persistent multiuser environment that merging physical reality with digital virtuality. Regarding online distance education as the response to school closure by the spread of contagious Covid-19, Metaverse has the potential to remedy the fundamental limitations of web-based 2D e-learning tools. Riberio (2021) adds that Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR & VR) are involved in the Metaverse. Referring to the notion of 21st-century skills and Metaverse, teachers and students must prepare all aspects to face the new era of the educational system in the future. As mentioned earlier, one of the 21st-century skills is digital literacy. In this case, digital language literacy is needed to be integrated and empowered in all English skills, with no exception in writing instruction. Writing instruction in English as a Foreign Language can be challenging because it needs many preparations to fulfill the learning goals. Celce-Murcia (2001) proposes that teaching writing needs countless efforts due to various settings, classrooms, and teaching methods. Harmer (2015, p. 360) denotes, “writing is the one that teachers and learners seem most reluctant to focus on because it requires them to make special efforts.” Those notions reflect that teaching writing is a complex skill that requires many domains to achieve effective teaching. Cheung (2016) views that teachers must understand and realize the concept of writing skills and the process involved. Instilling the creative process of writing, lecturers should accommodate students with magnificent learning tools and materials to combat all the hurdles commonly faced during the session. Regarding the implementation of digital language literacy in writing instruction, it needs to consider learning objectives, students’ and teachers’ level of being a digital native and digital immigrant in this digital savvy era. Furthermore, Son in Son et al. (2017) denote that digital literacy relates to the competence to use digital technologies for creation, communication, collaboration, and information search and evaluation in a digital society which intertwines with knowledge and skills development. In line, Hobbs (2011) focuses on five fundamental dimensions of digital literacy: the access http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 265 dimension, the critical thinking dimension, the expressive dimension, the social responsibility dimension, and the act dimension. Again, Son et al. (2017) mention that identifying the digital literacy level of students’ target language and knowing the factors affecting students’ uses of digital technologies in the local context are essential to be explored in achieving the effective implementation of digital language literacy. Hague & Payton Son et al. (2017) emphasize eight domains of digital literacy: functional skills, E-safety, effective communication, the ability to find and select information, collaboration, cultural and social understanding, critical thinking and evaluation, and creativity. Challenges and opportunities exist when implementing digital language literacy in the English Language Teaching context. A study conducted by Argawati and Suryani (2020), their study aimed to explore the changes and barriers in Digital Based Instruction (DBI). The study used a descriptive qualitative research design. The instruments of data collection were observation and interview. The research participants were five English teachers who taught five courses and two hundred students. The findings showed four advantages of DBI implementation: activating students, elevating digital literacy, provoking students’ creativity, and creating a new application. However, three barriers to implementing DBI were limited devices, limited access, and limited digital. Another study was conducted by Hafifah and Sulistyo (2020). The purpose of their research was to investigate teachers’ knowledge, experiences, ICT literacy levels, and to what extent they integrate ICTs in ELT to explore teachers’ knowledge, experiences, ICT literacy levels, and to what extent they integrate ICTs in ELT. This study employed a correlational study, and an online survey was conducted. The research participants were two hundred and eighty (280) English lecturers who taught English subjects from more than 130 different universities in Indonesia. The results showed a significant correlation between the lecturers’ ICT literacy levels, the lecturers’ training experiences, internet frequency usage, and ICTs integration in language teaching. Furthermore, Sholikhah (2017) employed classroom action research to investigate students speaking skill achievement by collaborating TEDx video watching with WhatsApp voice mode recording. The research participants were thirty-nine (39) EFL students of the tertiary level. The results showed that combining digital tools significantly improved students’ speaking skills, vocabulary range, and grammar usage. They viewed the implementation of digital tools as helpful, enjoyable, and beneficial as the implementation of digital tools skills. In addition, Anggraeni (2017) conducted a case study using Instagram in writing class. In her study, the research participants were sixty writing class students who responded to the open-ended questionnaire. The findings showed that the students had positive voices toward using Instagram as a digital application in writing courses. In addition, it highlighted the drawbacks and benefits of integrating http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 266 Instagram into writing classes. The defects dealt with the internet connection issues, the writing quality, and the students’ Instagram privacy. However, the virtues covered the use of Instagram was not time- consuming, it could improve students’ writing skills, it developed students’ confidence in publishing their writing, and it could be done every time and everywhere. The previous studies captured similarities and differences between those four earlier studies with this study. The similarities were in implementing digital language literacy in the English classroom context. On the other hand, the different domains were in the research design, research participants, and study context. By considering the differences, they benefit from insight into the knowledge and practice of implementing digital language literacy in an English classroom with different research participants and contexts of study. Therefore, to close the gap, the novelty of this study concerns more on the perspectives of students and lecturers in empowering digital language literacy in writing instruction in the EFL higher education context. It is crucial to explore the students’ and lecturers’ voices because it captures the actual conditions that they feel and views toward digital language literacy, so it contributes to the empowerment of digital language literacy, specifically in writing classes. In the future, the result of this current study is also adventitious for developing language skills materials for both institutions. Regarding digital language literacy implementation, the writing lecturers of the English Education Department of STKIP PGRI Jombang and Universitas Tidar have already integrated digital language literacy in writing instruction through some learning applications and Gamification such as Google Classroom, Quizziz, and Google Scholar. However, there are still barriers to implementing it. To cope with the problems of digital language literacy implementation, it is paramount to empower digital language literacy. This study is pivotal to exploring the perspectives of lecturers and students toward digital language literacy implementation in writing instruction. This study is guided by the main research question: How do lecturers’ and students’ voices toward empowering digital language literacy in writing instruction? METHOD This study employed a case study to explore lecturers’ and students’ perspectives on empowering digital language literacy in writing instruction. Yin (2003) defines “case studies are the preferred strategy when “how” or “why” questions are being posed and when the focus is on a contemporary phenomenon within some real-life context.” In conducting a case study, the researchers focused on one or more cases through in-depth and detailed data collection related to multiple sources of information (Creswell, 2011). http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 267 This study focused on one point, which was the empowerment of digital language literacy. This study was conducted in writing classes in the English Education Department of STKIP PGRI Jombang and Universitas Tidar. These two institutions were chosen because the lecturers have already implemented digital literacy in their writing classes, starting from the introduction of Paragraph writing, Essay Writing, Professional Writing, and Creative Writing. Besides, three writing lecturers (Romeo, Ann, Juliet – pseudonym), and forty students were research participants. Considering the concept of a case study, this case study used structured interviews and close-ended questionnaires to collect the data. The structured interview consisted of six questions to obtain the lecturers' voices. The questions can be viewed below. 1. Have you ever implemented some or all digital literacy skills (Critical Thinking and Evaluation, Functional Skills/ ICT Skills, Creativity, Cultural and Social Understanding, Collaboration, Effective Communication, The ability to find and select information, and E- safety) in your writing class? 2. What are the digital language tools that you mostly use in writing class? 3. What factors affect the use of digital technologies for language learning? 4. What are the benefits of implementing digital language literacy in your class? 5. What are the barriers to implementing digital language literacy in your class? 6. How do you empower digital language literacy in writing instruction? Moreover, the close-ended questionnaire consisted of forty items (adopted from Son et al., 2017) administered to the forty tertiary students. The questionnaire can be accessed at this link https://bit.ly/DigitalLanguageLiteracyinWritingClass. In collecting the interview data, the researchers implemented three steps; the first is to construct the interview subject of the ref questions based on the theoretical framework. Second, asking permission from the interviewee to be interviewed (the researchers did this process by asking the participants orally and making sure that the respondence data are confidential), and interviewing the interviewee. In collecting the questionnaire data, the researchers adopted the questionnaire items and created the Google form, the Google form link was sent to the students via WhatsApp, and the students completed the form. As the link is spread out towards the students joining the writing classes of both institutions, forty students completed the questionnaire. In analyzing the data, the researchers read all data, sorted the data representing the research topic, organized the http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 https://bit.ly/DigitalLanguageLiteracyinWritingClass Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 268 data into themes, examined and elaborated on the research findings, and validated the data with triangulation. In this case, the researcher implemented peer debriefing and data triangulation derived from either the students’ or lecturers’ voices to confirm the data's trustworthiness. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Generally, the population demographic of this research is a group of writing skills lecturers and students of tertiary level in two universities in Indonesia. In detail, the interview session was administered to three lecturers (1 male and two females) and 40 students (9 males and 31 females). The students are actually of different ages and taking other writing classes (Argumentative Essay, Professional writing, Introduction to Essay Writing, and Creative Writing). Most students were between eighteen and twenty years (18 years old=5%, 19 years old=25%, and 20 years old=50%), 17% were in their 21, and only 1% were in their thirties. All participants’ responses are presented based on the research objective as the following; Students’ voices towards empowering digital language literacy As the research objective explored above, three prominent aspects are generally becoming the issue of concern; 1) digital language literacy implementation, 2) digital language learning challenges and opportunities, and 3) ways to empower Digital language learning in writing classes. The three core issues will be elaborated as the following. 1) Digital language literacy implementation Students were asked to answer several questions related to detailed information on digital applications implementation, internet, and website usage, computer and word processing application utilization, and digital language tools usage. The questions are close-ended (adapting the Likert and Guttman scales) and multiple choice. Students explored that, generally, the lecturers of writing skills they join have already implemented different educational instructional applications. Out of the total respondents, 87% of them (35 students) believed that the lecturers experienced them in digital literacy skills such as Cultural and Social Understanding, Collaboration, and Effective Communication). In addition, with a range of minimally two years and an average of eight years of experience, the students typing skills reached 45%, which involved them working with word processing applications, while 50% sat at an acceptable level. It means that working with words spreadsheet is not an obstacle for them, mainly for the 5% of the total amount. Furthermore, 70 % of the total respondents are at a good level of web search skills. It infers that in searching for information through the internet clouds, the students are at a good level, and the lecturers do not need to put a great effort in assisting students with some tasks that require http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 269 them to surf the websites. (see Table 1). Table 1: Percentage of students’ typing skills and web search skills No Level of Students’ Literacy Students’ Typing Skills Students’ Web Search Skills 1 Very poor 0 % 2.5 % 2 Acceptable 45 % 20 % 3 Good 50 % 70 % 4 Very Good 5 % 7.5 % Although more than 85 % of the students do not have a personal homepage, they use computers for learning needs rather than other activities. The learning activities here mean reading on screen (85%), watching educational videos (100%), and using social networking (95%) to support their learning language process. It then reflects the students’ internet literacy (good 65% and very Good 10%), digital literacy (good 57.5% and Acceptable 37.5%), and computer literacy (55% good and Acceptable 35%). The data is resumed in the following (see Table 2). Table 2: Students’ internet, digital, and computer literacies No Level of Students’ Literacy Students’ Internet Literacy Students’ Digital Literacy Students’ Computer Literacy 1 Very poor 2.5 % 0 % 0 % 2 Acceptable 22.5 % 37.5 % 35 % 3 Good 65 % 57.5 % 55 % 4 Very Good 10 % 5 % 10 % Becoming digital natives in the disruption era, the students take great advantage of technology such as mobile applications, social networking, accessing digital learning resources, and some dictionary applications to assist them in the instructional process (see Table 3). It helps them fulfill the lecturers' tasks, such as constructing microblogs, constructing an essay, or arguing ideas through the academic text. Table 3: Language tools mostly used by students and lecturers in Writing class No Aspects Students Lecturers 1 Word processing application 95 % 90 % 2 Spreadsheet applications 42.5 % 15 % 3 Database applications 7.5 % 2.5 % http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 270 4 Presentation applications 90 % 87.5 % 5 Communication applications 10 % 2.5 % 6 Learning management systems 92.5 % 85 % 7 Virtual worlds 5 % 0 % 8 Social networking services 80 % 60 % 9 Blogs 17.5 % 5 % 10 Podcasts 10 % 2.5 % 11 Photo sharing sites 12.5 % 2.5 % 12 Video sharing sites 60 % 42.5 % 13 Web search engines 62.5 % 25 % 14 Dictionary apps 45 % 5 % 15 Educational platform 60 % 47.5 % 16 Online Conference 87.5 % 80 % 17 Writing apps to avoid plagiarism 50 % 100 % The fact portrayed in instructional activities, course projects, and the assessment process presented. Lecturers require students to do some projects individually or in a group, including using spreadsheets, presentation applications, educational platforms, and others (see Table 3). In addition, lecturers always highlight the importance of originality and authenticity in constructing ideas by elaborating on the plagiarism-checking system and dictionary applications. Students stated that five primary digital language tools were utilized during the session: a word processing application, a Learning Management System, an online conference, a presentation application, and social networking services. Interactivity with lecturers, peers, and online knowledge-sharing behavior has significantly impacted students’ engagement, consequently impacting students’ academic performance (Ansari & Khan, 2020). 2) Digital language learning challenges and opportunities To achieve the learning outcomes based on the curriculum, lecturers are presented with magnificent material and applications to support the interaction between lecturers-students and students-students. However, some issues need to be tackled, and benefits can pursue (see Table 4). Table 4: The challenges of Digital Language Literacy inside the classroom wall No Aspects Percentage 1 Lack of time 57.5 % 2 Lack of knowledge of teachers 25 % 3 Lack of skills of teachers 32.5 % 4 Lack of interest of teachers 37.5 % http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 271 5 Lack of training 47.5 % 6 Lack of supporting resources 60 % 7 Lack of budget 45 % 8 Lack of knowledge of students 65 % 9 Lack of skills of students 52.5 % 10 Lack of interest of students 47.5 % 11 Lack of learning materials 27.5 % 12 Lack of facilities 52.5 % In detail, the barriers during the instructional process include internal and external factors. External factors or so-called technical factors in this research refer to lack of time (57.5 %), lack of facilities (52.5 %), and lack of supporting resources (60 %). The school closure policy and the learning time restriction cut the standard learning hour to 50% off. It leads to weaknesses in classroom interaction, lecturers/peers-feedbacks, and a limited chance to practice inside the classroom wall. For some universities in developing countries like Indonesia, such shortcomings are pretty common in developing countries where financial constraints hinder ICT access (Korangten, 2012). In addition, internal factors also become the hurdles of the learning process, which include students’ lack of skills and knowledge (65 %), lack of training (47.5 %), lack of materials (27.5 %), and even some students’ voice their weakness from the lecturers (knowledge 25 25 % and skills 32.5 %). The phenomena inferred that successful technological-based instruction requires a preparation that requires lecturers' knowledge, the institution's amenities, and the students’ readiness. Despite the weaknesses, the ICT-based instruction outweighs the failings, as reported in the following table; Table 5: Students’ response to the digital literacy empowerment No Level of Students’ Agreement Disagree Strongly Disagree Agree Strongly Agree 1 Enjoying using the digital devices 3 % 0 % 45 % 52 % 2 Feeling comfortable using digital devices 3 % 0 % 40 % 57 % 3 Knowing various types of digital devices 10 % 0 % 40 % 35 % http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 272 4 Knowing the definition of digital literacy 11 % 1 % 52 % 7 % 5 Feeling threatened by digital technology 40 % 25 % 28 % 3 % 6 Feeling left behind compared to other fellows in using digital technology 19 % 5 % 10 % 6 % 7 Improving digital fluency is crucial 2 % 0 % 23 % 72 % 8 Personal writing skills can be enhanced by using digital tools and sources 1 % 0 % 35 % 62 % 9 Training in technology- enhanced language learning should be included in language education programs 2 % 1 % 35 % 57 % 10 Motivated to develop writing skills by using digital tools 2 % 0 % 38 % 57 % Table 5 above reported that the ICT enactments during the instructional process significantly broadened students' horizons. They said they enjoyed the class, which utilized digital devices (strongly agree 52.5 %). Despite all the projects, they also feel comfortable (57.5 % strongly agree). Hence, they finally know the various digital devices they can use to support their learning process despite their limitations. Electronic devices and social media allow students to collaborate in learning and share resource materials with their colleagues (Gikas & Grant, 2013). Students feel confident and no longer intimidated using digital technologies (40%). The learning process also provides an equal chance for the students to actively engage during the sessions (19%), and students can improve their writing by using different types of technologies (62.5 %). Further, students believe that they also need to improve their digital fluency (72.5 %) and that they can easily find writing sources (57.5 % strongly agree). In addition, students are motivated to use digital tools (57.5 % strongly agree) because it provides them a chance to find ideas and elaborate their work. 3) Ways to Empower the Digital language learning in writing class The magnificent technology incorporated in the class would be vague unless the lecturers, as the learning facilitator, assist students in understanding the materials and recognizing the educational app's operation system. In detail, students perceive that to keep the student engaged and relate to real-life context (strongly agree 57.5 %), lecturers and students should use social media as a learning and collaborating medium. Avoiding http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 273 plagiarism is also becoming a concern of the students since lecturers require the originality of their works (67.5 %); as a result, it can manage their online identity (65%). For some reason, social media also potentially becomes a learning distraction for the students; therefore, they hope lecturers also provide them with the trick to keep them from distraction (65%) and authentic materials (67.5 %). Above all, students believed in the significance of facilitating students with Gamified learning, Digital field trips, integrating social media, gathering student feedback, creating digital content, and using a shared-online classroom calendar. Besides, the chance to review and critique web pages and incorporate video and multimedia into lessons, presentations, and online activities for students who finish work early (57% strongly agree). And finally, it can improve students' critical thinking in a writing class (strongly agree 60%). In line with the findings, Burton et al. (2015) believed that digital literacy also comprises practical problem-solving skills, critical thinking and communication skills, creativity and self- regulation, and an understanding of culturally and contextually-based practice in user engagement with digital technologies. Lecturers’ Voices toward Empowering Digital Language Literacy The domains of digital language literacy cover critical thinking and evaluation, functional skill/ ICT skill, creativity, cultural and social understanding, collaboration, effective communication, the ability to find and select information, and E-safety. The elements root of the digital literacy concept proposed by Son et al. (2017). The obtained data thoroughly revealed that the lecturers of writing skills in STKIP PGRI Jombang or Universita Tidar implemented a wide range of ICT that stimulated students’ digital literacy in at least six domains. The lecturers believe that the domain of collaboration and the ability to find and select information is the prominent area that the students should master in the first place. In line with this finding, Leu et al. (2008) stated that the Central to being effective with the Web is strategically searching for information and evaluating its accuracy and relevancy. It means that comprehending students in locating and consuming the suitable site as the source or reference of students' work is essential throughout the academic writing process. In addition, some decades ago, Paul Gilster (1997) defined that the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from various sources when presented via computers is primarily characteristic of digital literacy. It then leads lecturers to elaborate digital activities in nurturing students individually or in a group. Table 6: The implementation of digital language literacy Name of lecturers (pseudonym) Responses Romeo 7 out of 8 domains http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 274 (cultural and social understanding, collaboration, effective communication, the ability to find and select information) Ann 6 out of 8 domains (critical thinking and evaluation, functional skill/ ICT skill, creativity, collaboration, effective communication, the ability to find and select information) Juliet All domains Regarding the utilization of digital tools during the learning process, all lecturers already presented material with the local Learning Management System (LMS), such as ELITA or SPADA (see table 2). This functions to facilitate the students in accessing material during the school closure because of the contiguous Covid-19. The utilization of LMS requires lecturers’ ability to handle the system; however, it contributes beneficial impacts to the course simultaneously (Pertiwi & Musthafa, 2020). Besides, the lecturers also introduced students to various types of writing an application to maintain their work originality through some dictionary apps and the magnificent plagiarism checking system. In line with this current research finding, Muthmainnah (2019) revealed a positive correlation between digital literacy understanding and students' writing originality. In addition, Rahman et al. (2019) also found that incorporating students with social networking services is a valuable experience to share with the students. It contributes a lot of benefits and satisfaction among students. Furthermore, Melles & Unsworth (2015) and Wahyuningsih (2020) enforced the urgency of a wide range of recognition of institutional and personal factors, a broader approach to reference management instruction and support would increase the relevance of library instruction, and it can enhance the library instruction. Table 7: Digital language tools Name of lecturers (pseudonym) Responses Romeo Word processing applications, Learning management systems (ELITA), Social networking services (e.g., WhatsApp, Instagram), Web search engines (e.g., Google), Educational platforms (Kahoot, Mentimeter), Online Conference (Zoom), Writing apps to avoid plagiarism (Mendeley, Digital Reference Manager) Ann Word processing applications, Learning management systems (ELITA), Social networking services (e.g., WhatsApp), Web search engines (e.g., Google), Online http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 275 Conference (Zoom), Writing apps to avoid plagiarism (Mendeley) Juliet Word processing applications, Presentation applications, Learning management systems (e.g., SPADA STKIP PGRI Jombang), Social networking services (e.g., WhatsApp), Video sharing sites (e.g., YouTube), Dictionary apps (e.g., Dictionary.com), Educational platform, Online Conference, Writing apps to avoid plagiarism Based on the interview transcription (see table 3), there are some urgent reasons behind ICT implementation. Practically, incorporating various types of technology inside the remote classroom wall requires complex preparation. However, the wise choice during the school closure is to engage students in the mediated learning process, either synchronously or asynchronously. The policy or decision is taken under specific circumstances, including the necessity of information access, the chance to manage the classroom, and internet accessibility. Jacobs et al. (2015) and Vanek (2017) believed that acquiring digital literacies is a pivotal moment and crucial to seeing the relevance of digital technology in their lives and goals. As learners gain digital experience through multiple exposures, they can increase their confidence and engagement. Table 8: Factors of using digital technologies for language learning Name of lecturers (pseudonym) Responses Romeo The need of the information, faster information, the broader engagement in our work in language Ann The factor is in the lecturer and students. How the lecturers can manage the class and build the students' activeness. Juliet Both lecturers’ and students’ readiness, students’ engagement toward the use of technologies, and internet access (for online mode) Despite the complexity of preparing the instructional process by utilizing ICT, the material incorporated with various technologies contributes to many opportunities. In line with the research conducted by Issa et al. (2021) revealed a better understanding of the benefits and risks, awareness, culture, and sustainability associated with the use of social networking (SN) in the higher education (HE) sector in the Middle East. In addition, another contribution is that the students may become self- directed and very active – exploratory – learners in a short amount of time. They immediately take advantage of the system's flexibility and control, http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 276 which allows them to demonstrate their proficiency in specific language areas (Watts & Lloyd, 2004). The lecturers believe that using various applications during the session will elevate students’ critical thinking, create a lively, dynamic classroom atmosphere, and reduce the negative impact of irresponsible technology usage. Table 9: Benefits of implementing digital language literacy Name of lecturers (pseudonym) Responses Romeo It can make students adjust to their social needs/ social environment, like the need for faster info in broader engagement; they can be more responsive to recent phenomena around them. Digital language literacy makes them more responsible in their digital platform. It can help students to be well-trained to provide proper materials (higher level) to reach broader engagement. It can decrease the negative impact of digital platforms. Ann The students can use ICT in writing, and it can build students' HOTS Juliet The class will be more alive; it encompasses e-learning skills for strengthening students’ thinking and learning; it helps students to develop dynamic creativity Since implementing ICT inside the classroom wall need a systematic process, it creates some challenges in some areas, including assessing students’ work, monitoring the instructional techniques, and the limited time. Common problems also happen in typical online classrooms due to inadequate training, lack of accessibility, and inconsistent instructors' teaching styles (Rababah, 2020). The issue of lack of ICT competence and lack of ICT facilities for lecturers or students, oversized classes, heavy teaching load, lack of technical support, and lack of support from relevant authorities (Nhu et al., 2019). It can be inferred that conducting an online classroom or a technological-based learning process is prone to technical drawbacks. And it happens in almost all parts of the world, either in state or private universities. Another obstacle is that digital resources can also free up lecturers, allowing them to spend more time facilitating student learning and less time lecturing (Spires et al., 2017). Table 10: Barriers of implementing digital language literacy Name of lecturers (pseudonym) Responses Romeo In monitoring the students in online teaching. The http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 277 number of students is too many students in writing class, it’s a bit difficult to control them, it’s less effective for the writing practices Ann How to make the students understand writing instruction via online learning. Giving feedback one by one online is challenging. I have given feedback, but some students still create writing mistakes after getting feedback. Then, I ask my students to install Mendeley; I explain how to use it. Some students can use it, but the rest don’t apply it. Juliet Time limitations and internet access sometimes cause trouble, especially in hybrid learning mode. To pursue a beneficial yet meaningful learning process, the lecturers stated that there are ways to encounter the problems that might appear during the session (see table 10). Encouragement is one way to uphold the classroom's positive atmosphere effectively. The lecturers must guide the students to work by using technology persistently. It started with introducing them to how to operate the apps, allowing the students to consult with the project or task assigned, and providing positive feedback on their work. Regarding this issue, Ihmadeh et al. (2010) believed that a positive communication environment offers a forum for learners to learn how to communicate and improve their communication skills. In addition, Forutanian (2021) found that Instructors focused on enhancing the educational context for better teaching, for example, increasing the students' motivation or developing learner autonomy. Digital tools also promoted individualized learning, engagement, participation, creativity, imagination, group work, and digital design. Giving students the task to write Microblogs and Instagram feeds is also part of digital tech for writing purposes to boost engagement in writing. Furthermore, establishing an understanding of referencing strategy to digital literacy and digital competence over time, disciplines, countries, methods, and level of analysis are parts of digital literacy empowerment (Spante et al., 2018). Table 11: Empowering digital language literacy in the writing instruction Name of lecturers (pseudonym) Responses Romeo Giving tasks to the students to write microblog and upload it on Instagram. Introducing students to many digital technologies for writing purposes to boost engagement in writing. Remind the students to avoid plagiarism by asking students to use a digital plagiarism checker, I also remind students the concept of plagiarism is not only copying and pasting. I http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 278 introduce the idea of plagiarism from the side of the cultural paradigm Ann I ask them to make a group and ask them to use Grammarly, Turnitin, Mendeley, Zetero. For the evaluation, I give feedback and ask the students to have peer feedback (so their friends can provide comments to the others) Juliet I use various technologies to support my teaching and learning process and encourage students to use technology in the writing course process. For example, I introduce them to referencing system applications, use thesaurus, etc. CONCLUSION The current finding explores the implementation of digital language literacy in two universities in Indonesia, especially in the writing class context. It revealed that students or lecturers meticulously studied their experience regarding the occurrence inside the classroom wall. Interestingly, students and lecturers consistently present the same idea related to implementing the digital tools, the barriers that exist during the preparation, employment, and assessments, and the benefits they gain from the digital language tools. The pedagogical implications of this current research are that lecturers presented various materials and tasks with magnificent different educational tools. It helps students broaden their horizons and enrich their digital experiences. Despite the obstacles experienced due to internal and external factors, classroom activities can still keep students engaged in the learning process. The issue of elevating students’ critical thinking skills, collaboration, and creativity is also achieved during the instructional process for the lecturers to empower students passionately and patiently. Due to some limitations in the context of the study and instrument of data collection, the researchers believe that the gaps in fulfillment are still open for further research on empowering digital language literacy in other language skills such as speaking, listening, and reading. In addition, a wide range of sources of data can be undertaken to enrich the empirical research finding. All in all, the implementation of digital language literacy empowers students in writing classes. http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 Lensa: Kajian Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya p-ISSN: 2086-6100 Vol. 12 No. 2, July-December 2022, Page 263-281 http://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/lensa e-ISSN: 2503-328X Empowering Digital Language Literacy in… Masriatus Sholikhah, Candradewi Wahyu Anggraeni DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.12.2.2022.263-281 279 REFERENCES Anggraeni, C.W. (2017). Students’ perspectives toward the use of Instagram in writing class. Proceedings 1st English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC), ISSN: 2579-7263. https://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/ELLIC/article/view/2412/ 2467 Argawati, N. O. & Suryani, L. (2020). Digital-based instruction: Chances and challenges in English language teaching context. 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