Journal of Engineering Education Transformations

Abstract

Demand for English language proficiency among the engineering graduates with adept digital communication skills is growing in the contemporary global context. Industry 4.0 places English in the center of digital communication. It demands young engineering graduates with digital communication skills in English. This not only places importance of graduates learning English communication skills but also on the teachers to initiate novel pedagogical approaches. It is imperative to initiate these transitions during the students’ graduation stage to ensure their readiness for the industry. The digital teaching and learning in English underscores the need for a fresh pedagogical approach that aligns with the preferences of millennials, facilitating learning across virtual and traditional platforms. Smart classrooms bridge the divides between the teacher and the taught. The evolving landscape of English education calls for a pedagogy infused with technology. Post-COVID, digital pedagogy is supplanting conventional one-on-one teaching methods, integrating techniques like blended learning through Learning Management Systems (LMS), flipped classrooms, self-directed learning, and collaborative approaches. This paper argues for the integration of digital pedagogy in regular classroom teaching and learning in English. The paper suggests that the use of digital media should not stop with the resumption of offline teaching, after COVID, rather should be an integral part of pedagogy in teaching English to engineering graduates. It is believed that digital pedagogy augments learner engagement, fostering active learning. The study underscores the significance and scope of digital pedagogy in the computer-centric era. The present paper represents the findings of the empirical research which sought to compare and contrast the conventional learning mode with blended learning.

Keywords: Digital pedagogy; ELT; Engineering graduates; Industry 4.0