Online multilingual glossaries in teaching and learning higher education : a feasibility study

Abstract

The key objective of this multiple case study was to determine the impact of the online multilingual glossaries tool on the academic experience and success of first year students. The study further seeks to advance the use of African languages in academia, science, and technology, among other fields. The use of English only as the medium of instruction often creates a barrier to learning for students for whom English is not a first language and this often has a direct impact on whether they succeed or fail academically. To address this language challenge, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology developed an online multilingual glossaries tool to assist students learn and understand key concepts and complex terms in prescribed programmes through their first languages, which are primarily isiXhosa and Afrikaans. The study was conducted with first year students enrolled in the Applied Law Unit, Nursing, and Horticultural Science departments. A mixed method approach that includes Yin’s (1984) multiple case study design was used to evaluate and analyse the data to find patterns in how students from various fields of study interact with languages and the online multilingual glossaries tool. Data was collected through questionnaires, quasi-experiments, and focus group discussions with students, as well as semi-structured interviews with lecturers. Based on students’ experiences with the platform and the improved experiment scores following the use of online multilingual glossaries, the study findings show a positive academic experience and improved concept knowledge among first year students. It is advisable to extend the development of subject-specific multilingual glossaries to other academic programs and, eventually, make them a fundamental component of all courses and disciplines at CPUT. Furthermore, the usage of the current CPUT online multilingual glossaries in the classroom should definitely be investigated and tested further.