Literacy, Digital Media, and Emerging Pedagogies

Maryem Larhmaid is shaping the future of literacy education. As an Assistant Professor at Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco, she combines rigorous research with real-world classroom insights. A former Fulbright Research Scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park (2018–2020), Dr. Larhmaid earned her PhD in Applied Linguistics and TEFL in 2022 and has since presented her work across Europe, the UK, the US, and Russia. Her research bridges digital literacy, reading education, and applied linguistics, exploring how students engage with texts in an ever-evolving, technology-rich learning landscape.

Could you reflect on the intellectual and professional journey that led you to specialise in literacy education and applied linguistics?

My journey to specialize in applied linguistics and literacy education started after I got my Master’s degree in Linguistics and Advanced English Studies. During my M.A. studies, not only did I study theoretical linguistics, but I was also introduced to key issues and topics in applied linguistics. Bridging theory (what I studied) with practice (what should be applied in language classrooms to solve issues in English language teaching and learning) became the main objective that led me to embark on research in this field, particularly in literacy education and how students engage with texts in academic contexts.

In what ways did your doctoral work in Applied Linguistics and TEFL shape your theoretical positioning and current research agenda?

My doctoral work in Applied Linguistics and TEFL opened the door to new topics that had not been widely researched before in the Moroccan context. My Ph.D. journey, which started officially in 2017, introduced me to the ethics and rules of conducting academic research and helped shape my theoretical perspectives on literacy and language learning.

My doctoral dissertation focused at the time on a timely topic, which was investigating the impact of digital and print media on reading comprehension, preferences, reading strategies, and judgment of performance. The study sought to examine the role that digital media, compared to print, plays in shaping how EFL university students comprehend texts. It also examined what reading strategies they use when engaging with different reading materials (print vs. digital), which reading medium they prefer (digital or print, i.e., paper), and how they judge their reading performance under those reading conditions based on their metacognition. This work continues to influence my current research interests in literacy practices, reading processes, and overall evolving learning environments.

As a Fulbright Research Scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park (2018–2020), you engaged with diverse academic communities. How did this experience contribute to your scholarly development and comparative perspective on literacy education?

Getting the Fulbright Joint Supervision grant, which permits Ph.D. candidates to embark on research in the United States for one year under the supervision of an American advisor, was a blast! I would not have achieved what I have today without this opportunity. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (MACECE) gave me to advance not only my academic research but also my social and professional networking with experts in literacy education.

Thanks to the Fulbright grant, I had access to reading materials related to my doctoral research topic through university libraries that included extensive collections of books and printed materials addressing similar topics to mine. In addition, working under the supervision of a pioneer in literacy education in the United States, Dr. Peter Afflerbach, was an honor and a privilege. He was the kind of advisor that any doctoral researcher would wish for. This experience also allowed me to observe and engage with different academic perspectives on literacy education, which helped me develop a comparative view between research and practices in the United States and in Morocco.

Having participated in academic conferences and scholarly initiatives across Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia, how have these international engagements enriched your understanding of literacy practices in varied sociocultural contexts?

Well, having participated in academic conferences and scholarly initiatives across Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia helped me better understand how literacy practices can differ depending on the sociocultural and educational context. I understood that literacy is shaped and influenced by the context where it is applied; it may change from one situation to another. Through these experiences, I was able to see how students approach reading and writing in different ways, and how factors such as educational systems, access to resources, reading/writing materials, and the increasing use of digital tools shape these practices. Engaging with scholars and presenting my work in these settings also allowed me to reflect more on the Moroccan context and to think about literacy not only as a set of skills, but also as practices influenced by culture, institutions, and learning environments.

Your work spans digital literacy, reading education, applied linguistics, and theoretical linguistics. How do you conceptualise the relationship between these domains within your research framework?

Within my research framework, the aforementioned domains are crucial for understanding and addressing current issues in foreign or second language classrooms. For example, in an EFL context, which is my main area of research, digital literacy and reading education are closely connected. Most of my student cohorts are digital natives and are accustomed to reading through screens rather than print. For this reason, I often use digital literacy as a framework in my research to teach, explain, and better understand the challenges students may face when reading online, such as how they process information, select reading strategies, and engage with digital texts.

Regarding theoretical and applied linguistics, I would say that these two domains function as umbrella areas that help us examine both abstract and practical language issues. Theoretical linguistics provides the foundations for understanding how language works, while applied linguistics focuses more on how this knowledge can be used to address challenges in language learning, teaching, and literacy development in the classroom.

Digital literacy has become a central construct in contemporary education discourse. From your perspective, how should digital literacy be theorised within language education, particularly in EFL and multilingual contexts?

Digital literacy has become, now more than ever, an essential component of language education. Before artificial intelligence tools became widely used among today’s students, digital literacy was relatively a neglected construct in many EFL and multilingual teaching and learning contexts. In the past two decades, especially in countries with limited access to digital media and technological tools, there was some reluctance to integrate digital literacy into language classrooms, often with the assumption that it was not necessary.

Today, however, in the age of artificial intelligence, digital literacy has received particular attention from English language specialists and educators. From my perspective, digital literacy should be theorized both as a core component of language learning and as a framework that helps us understand how students read, write, and interact with texts in digital environments. For this reason, I believe it should be taught explicitly in language classrooms, whether in EFL, ESL, or multilingual contexts. In many ways, digital literacy comes before AI literacy, because when students are digitally literate, they are more likely to use AI tools in an ethical and responsible way within their academic work.

Which of your research findings do you consider most consequential for informing classroom practice or teacher education programmes?

Well, there are a number of research findings from my work that I use and rely on in my teaching. Since I specialize in literacy education, most of my teaching focuses on reading and writing classes. In my reading classes, for example, I usually ask students to print the reading materials I send them when the text is longer than three pages. Based on my research, I found that students who read longer texts in print tend to comprehend better and retain information for a longer period compared to students who read the same texts digitally. I also found that students show more interest in reading when they are given the opportunity to select reading materials based on their preferences.

Regarding my writing classes, one important finding that informs my teaching is the strong relationship between reading and writing. I always encourage my students to read extensively if they want to become critical thinkers, competent writers, and effective communicators in English. I also advise them to use AI tools mainly as editing tools rather than writing tools, so that they can maintain their own voice and develop their identity as emerging writers instead of relying entirely on a machine. These findings, in my view, are also important for teacher education programs because they highlight how classroom practices can support both reading development and responsible use of technology in writing.

What enduring theoretical or methodological tensions do you perceive within literacy research today?

In my view, one of the enduring tensions within literacy research today is the balance between traditional and emerging approaches to literacy. On the one hand, there is still strong support for print-based literacy practices that emphasize deep reading, comprehension, and critical thinking. On the other hand, there is a growing focus on digital literacy and the increasing role of technologies, including artificial intelligence tools, in how students read and write. Another tension relates to how literacy is studied methodologically, whether through controlled experimental approaches or through classroom-based and sociocultural perspectives that consider the context in which literacy takes place. These discussions continue to shape the field and influence how we understand literacy in contemporary education.

How do you interpret the evolving relationship between traditional models of reading instruction and digitally mediated reading practices?

Traditional models of reading remain the foundation and the basis for digitally mediated reading practices. Traditional models of reading instruction (e.g., phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension strategies) still provide the foundational cognitive skills necessary for understanding texts. However, digitally mediated reading practices expand what it means to “read” by adding new demands and modalities such as scrolling, navigating hyperlinks, and interacting with pictures and audios. In brief, digital reading does not replace traditional or conventional reading; rather, it builds on it.

In light of rapid technological advancement, including artificial intelligence, what transformative possibilities and critical concerns emerge for literacy education?

With the rapid technological advancement, particularly the emergence of artificial intelligence, literacy educators are increasingly concerned with several issues. One of these issues is the limited knowledge of how to use and deal with online information, especially in terms of information literacy. As I mentioned earlier, although today’s students are digital natives, many of them still lack the necessary skills to select useful and trustworthy information when they are online. The wide spread of digital media among students has not only made some of them passive consumers of information, but it has also raised concerns about the gradual loss of their identity as learners. When information becomes instantly accessible with just one click, students’ critical and creative thinking may be at risk. At the same time, these technological developments also offer new possibilities for teaching and learning literacy, provided that they are used in a thoughtful and responsible way.

Where do you identify significant research gaps within digital literacy and reading studies that warrant deeper scholarly investigation?

There are a number of research gaps within digital literacy and reading studies that remain under-investigated. To the best of my knowledge, and based on my research, there is still a lot to be done in the EFL context. One important area concerns the strategies and tools that students and educators use to select trustworthy websites and reading materials. As I said before, the Internet provides unlimited access to texts and sources, but many of them may not be reliable or academically appropriate. Therefore, we need more thorough investigation into effective ways of identifying valid and vetted information. Another gap relates to the development of reading strategies that are suitable for online reading contexts. Research has already shown that practices such as constant scrolling do not always guarantee effective comprehension, especially when students read long and complex texts. This is an area that still requires deeper scholarly attention.

How can applied linguistics research more effectively bridge the long-standing divide between theory and pedagogical practice?

To bridge the long-standing divide between theory and pedagogical practice, I believe that applied linguistics research should pay more attention to what actually happens in classrooms. In many cases, theories are used to inform teaching practices, which is important, but classroom practices themselves should also inform research and contribute to the development of new theories. In other words, research should not only depend on existing theoretical frameworks to solve classroom issues, but should also observe, analyze, and learn from real teaching and learning contexts. This closer connection between research and classroom practices can help make applied linguistics more relevant and useful for educators.

What structural or curricular reforms do you believe are necessary within teacher education programmes to respond to contemporary literacy demands?

As far as teacher and university professor education programs are concerned, I strongly believe that certain curricula need to be replaced or refined to better address students’ digital literacy, AI literacy, and other emerging literacies. In many course syllabi, the main concern of policy makers is often to ensure that students complete their studies and obtain a degree. However, in many cases, the degree does not fully reflect the actual competencies, skills, and abilities that students have developed. For this reason, those responsible for designing curricula should focus more on the quality of education rather than the quantity of graduates (i.e., raising the number of students who get a degree). Teacher education programs, in particular, should prepare future educators to deal with new literacy demands in today’s classrooms, especially those related to digital environments and evolving learning practices.

Looking ahead, what thematic or methodological directions do you envision shaping your research over the next decade?

Since my research interests span reading education, writing education, and new literacies, I plan to continue focusing on these areas in the coming years. My future research will draw on both classroom practices and theoretical perspectives, particularly in relation to digital literacy and emerging technologies that are shaping how students read and write today.

What guidance would you offer to emerging scholars seeking to contribute meaningfully to literacy education research?

There are a number of guidelines I would give to emerging scholars who want to contribute meaningfully to literacy education research. First, they should read extensively in the field in order to identify gaps that are missing or not well investigated. Second, they should pay close attention to classroom practices, because observing how students interact with learning materials can provide valuable insights that research alone may not reveal. Finally, I would encourage them to connect their research to real educational needs, so that their findings can inform policy makers and contribute to improving curricula and teaching practices in schools and universities.

In an increasingly complex educational landscape, what sustains your intellectual curiosity and commitment as a researcher and educator?

Every teacher, professor, and educator knows that teaching is such a complex and demanding profession. It requires not only the competence to deal with the realities of teaching digital natives, such as Generation Z, but also patience, self-control, and strong professional ethics in the classroom. What sustains my intellectual curiosity and commitment is this responsibility of being a university professor: not only to teach and equip students with the skills they need to cope with today’s complex world, but also to continue advancing our field of research so that current and future generations of students and educators can benefit from it.

If you could influence one global conversation or policy decision regarding literacy education, what would you advocate for—and why?

There is one global conversation and policy decision regarding literacy education that I strongly advocate for, which is the responsible and ethical use of AI in teaching and learning contexts. We cannot deny that AI is already present and will remain part of education for many years to come. Based on this reality, I would advocate for the inclusion of clear guidance/guidelines on how AI can be used responsibly and ethically both inside and outside the classroom. Today, many discussions among educators focus on concerns about how AI may hinder students’ cognitive skills; how it may be used in exams to cheat; and how it might affect their academic development. In my view, the first step is to recognize that AI is now part of our educational landscape. Once we accept that reality, the next step is to learn how to deal with it appropriately within specific learning contexts so that it supports, rather than weakens, students’ learning.