Digital collaboration tools to support and enhance student belonging: A UK EAP perspective

This study investigates, through the application of surveys and semi-structured interviews, how English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructors in United Kingdom (UK) universities utilise a range of digital collaboration tools, such as virtual classrooms, platforms, forums and apps to enhance collaboration and engagement and ultimately engender a sense of belonging among linguistically and culturally diverse EAP student cohorts. The findings demonstrate how EAP teachers currently integrate these tools into their practice to meet specific academic and linguistic needs. A brief set of general recommendations for teachers is then offered to further enhance student belonging through the flexible integration of technology into everyday practice, focussing on the need for more training, the effective exploitation of existing technologies and brave experimentation with new technologies. This research not only advances the discourse on digital pedagogy within EAP but also provides actionable insights for educators in a wide range of fields who seek to create inclusive learning environments using institutionally mandated digital tools or those of their own choosing.