FROM TRADITIONAL TO DIGITAL: CYBER DISCOURSE AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF CLASSROOM COMMUNICATION IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

The digital revolution has significantly reshaped communicative
practices across educational settings, especially in Nigerian
universities. With the integration of technology into teaching and
learning, classroom discourse has evolved from traditional face-to-face
interaction to multimodal, cyber-mediated communication. This
paper examines how cyber discourse, has transformed classroom
communication in Nigerian universities. It explores how digital
platforms such as Learning Management Systems (LMS), WhatsApp,
Telegram, and Google Classroom have changed the dynamics of
teacher–student interaction, language use, and knowledge
construction. The study adopts qualitative and descriptive approach
supported by Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA), Kress (1996).
Findings reveal that cyber discourse encourages interactivity,
autonomy, and multimodal expression among learners, but also
introduces challenges related to digital inequality, distraction, and
linguistic informality. The paper concludes that while cyber discourse
has redefined pedagogical communication in Nigeria, there is a need
for balanced integration of technology, digital literacy training, and
institutional support to enhance effective and inclusive
communication in university classrooms