The concept of academic literacy is far from straightforward. Henderson and Hirst (2007) note that
the term “tends to hide any of the diversity that exists, thus restricting us to a singular view of
literacy and a particular set of practices” (p. 27). When academic literacy is considered in the
plural – as academic literacies – and these literacies are viewed as sets of practice, the focus shifts
towards ways in which students learn to participate and make meaning within an academic context
(Lea 2004). Academic literacies include critical thinking, database searching, familiarity with
academic conventions such as referencing, use of formal register and the ability to manipulate a
range of academic genres, which by definition restrict how meanings can be constructed and
conveyed. The concept of multiliteracies is assuming greater importance in tandem with
developments in technology.