Academic Hypermedia Reading at Postgraduate Level: A Case Study of EFL Learners

In this digital age, use of hypermedia, multimedia environment, and online resources has changed the way of traditional language learning and instruction. However, these types of environments have mostly used for general English classes but not for the academic courses at postgraduate levels. Therefore, there is an urgent need to empower the students at postgraduate levels with e- literacy skills to enable them to read multimedia texts in their academic contexts. This paper explored how postgraduate students engaged in reading their academic course texts in hypermedia environments. It also tried to find out the hypermedia tools they employed and the relation between choosing tools and the participants’ sensory pathways. To do this case study, a sample of eleven postgraduate students majoring in English Language Studies was chosen to read two academic hypermedia-reading texts. These students were selected based on their existing computer literacy skills gauged through a background questionnaire prior to selection. The postgraduate students were introduced to the hypermedia reading platform for the study which was accessible through an internet address as subscribed users. The tool used to gain insight of the participants’ perceived sensory pathways was the Sensory Pathway Questionnaire. Data from the questionnaires are triangulated with a semi-structured interview after hypermedia reading was finished. Then, observed hypermedia reading behaviors which were captured on screen by CAMTASIA and a post-online reading stimulated recall was conducted where responses were recorded for analysis using NVIVO. Generally the findings of this study reveal that the selected Iranian postgraduate students were inclined towards the visual sensory pathway evident in their choice of using most of the visual representations tools in the hypermedia environment. That is, learning is enhanced and was more effective by using visual tools. Therefore, this study has shown how hypermedia reading environment has facilitated the foreign students’ reading process and reading comprehension faster and more accurately. More importantly the findings of the study has suggested that hypermedia reading environments and tools can empower and transform non-native readers of English academic materials from dependent readers to autonomous independent readers who are more confident of their understanding and comprehension of the texts they read. Hence, creating hypermedia reading opportunities should be further encouraged in reading classrooms to develop these effective and independent readers.