Redefining academic literacy assessment with SDG goals, GenAI, and multilingual narratives

This study investigates how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) image generation combined with translanguaging and traditional narrative writing can enhance academic literacy and advance social sustainability through inclusive higher education in South African universities. Focusing on first-year humanities students, the research analyses multimodal data, including AI-generated images, student reflective writing, and translanguaging. The findings indicate that integrating Indigenous languages into academic literacy practices fosters inclusive participation, reduces linguistic barriers, and supports culturally responsive collaboration. However, the study also identified ethical and contextual challenges, particularly Western biases embedded in AI systems and the need for teacher readiness to adopt inclusive pedagogies. By linking technological innovation with decolonial and transformative learning theories, the research proposes a replicable framework that positions GenAI as a supportive tool for equitable, accessible, and socially sustainable teaching and learning in multilingual contexts