Preview

Collaborative Writing Among Second Language Learners in Academic Web-Based Projects

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
9563 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Collaborative Writing Among Second Language Learners in Academic Web-Based Projects
Language Learning & Technology http://llt.msu.edu/issues/february2012/kesslerbikowskiboggs.pdf

February 2012, Volume 16, Number 1 pp. 91–109

COLLABORATIVE WRITING AMONG SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN ACADEMIC WEB-BASED PROJECTS
Greg Kessler, Dawn Bikowski, and Jordan Boggs Ohio University This study investigates Web-based, project oriented, many-to-many collaborative writing for academic purposes. Thirty-eight Fulbright scholars in an orientation program at a large Midwestern university used a Web-based word processing tool to collaboratively plan and report on a research project. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the changing nature of collaborative writing, as it is influenced by Web-based writing contexts. Details of students’ writing processes and their perceptions of the collaborative Web-based word processing experience are explored. Findings suggest that students focused more on meaning than form, that their grammatical changes were overall more accurate than inaccurate, that they participated with varying frequency, and that they used the tool for simultaneous varied purposes. Student feedback about the Web-based collaborative activity and use of Google Docs offers additional insights. Observations about the evolving nature of Web-based collaborative writing and associated pedagogical practices including considerations about student autonomy are discussed. Keywords: Collaborative Learning, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Discourse Analysis, Learner Autonomy INTRODUCTION Collaborative practices are being increasingly advocated in second language classrooms largely in response to the collaborative potential of Web 2.0 tools. The literature reveals a noticeable increase in interest in collaborative writing (e.g., Arnold, Ducate, & Kost, 2009; Elola & Oskoz, 2010; Kessler, 2009; Kessler & Bikowski, 2010; Storch, 2005). However, few collaborative writing projects, particularly involving more than two writers, are actually

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Unit 7 Project Part 3: Team Debrief Summary Sheet and Reflection on Collaborative Writing and submission of Rhetorical Analysis…

    • 13304 Words
    • 80 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    During week six, learning team A continued their collaborative efforts in implementing and evaluating the quality improvement plan designed to assist each team member to enhance the quality of their individual assignments. This team utilized peer review, proofreading, and discussion as strategic tools to improve the quality of academic writing. This review will summarize the quality improvement process by critiquing team activities and identifying areas of team’s strength, weakness, and suggesting strategies for improvement.…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Over eight weeks,, a web only based course was given at the University of Pretoria. And every week the student would do research, participate in discussions, web artifacts and later do a group assignment (Nagel, Blignaut, & Cronje, 2009). Through these assignments, Nagel, Blignaut, and Cronje were able to see how each of the students was able to relay on one another for help, and also giving feed back. The final grades were based on, 10% from the discussion pose and the other 90% came from research posting, web artifacts, group assignments, peer review, and final essays…

    • 1685 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    En1320 Unit 1 Assignment 2

    • 5052 Words
    • 21 Pages

    No. of respondents Statements 1 1. I emphasize students’ final writing products. 2. I involve students in the process of planning, drafting, revising, and editing. 3. I focus mostly on grammar and mechanics when giving feedback. 4. I focus mostly on content and organization when giving feedback. 5. I involve students in group writing tasks more than individual writing tasks. 6. I have students keep a journal and write as often as possible in English at home. 7. I meet with individual students to help with work in progress. 30 per category* 2 10 3 8 4 2…

    • 5052 Words
    • 21 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “The Story Teller” PH TE p. 395 and “The Drummer Boys of Shiloh” PH TE p.200…

    • 1416 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Weaver, D., Viper, S., Latter, J. and McIntosh, P., 2010. Off campus students ' experiences collaborating online, using wikis. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(6), pp.847--860.…

    • 1633 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In addition, not everyone agrees that technology has a positive impact on writing. In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” (2008), Nicholas Carr argues that the easy accessibility of information on the Internet doesn’t benefit people much. Carr believes this because the information provided on the Internet does not require much effort to look up, which affects the ways we read, think, and write on certain subjects (Carr) It is not always true. In the article “Studies Explore Whether the Internet Makes Students Better Writers” (2009), he reports on findings to determine whether or not technology has a positive effect on student writing. He quotes Stanford student, Mr. Otuteye and his belief on the effect of technology on student writing.…

    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Week one was a little tense for me. But after meeting the instructor and my classmates in the class café’ I felt more at ease and ready start learning. Firstly, I learned to be an online student was going to require a lot of technologies I may not be familiar with. At that time, I was introduced to the good and bad sides of technology, such as going to school online or cyber bullying. Then, I came across relevant guidelines and documents, such as The Academic Writing Expectations Checklist; a checklist to ensure writing meets academic standards, and the Assignment and Discussion rubrics. Rubrics are requirements and principles used to mark work. Eventually, in the week one discussion, I realized that I need to be careful how I put words online. People have feelings, whether, good or bad. Be aware of what and how you write online (About us - Copy-Editing for Uni Students. (n.d.)). Stay conscious of how people perceive what you put online. Be kind, professional, objective, and sympathetic with views. More importantly, I acquired the knowledge of how imperative it is to have a printed emergency plan available, just in case of mechanical failure(John Rayworth: FLUTE List Assistant - Larry Krantz. (n.d.)). The paper includes a backup plan for your computer, phone numbers and email…

    • 2527 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Technology does not make contemporary students semi-literate. In “Our Semi-literate Youth? Not So Fast” by Andrea Lunsford, she discusses the results of her research on the effects of technology on the writing of college students. After studying the writing of college students for thirty years, Lunsford discovers that technology allows students to write more, develop different writing skills and embrace collaborative writing.…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    After reading the article “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers” by Sondra Perl I have been forced to understand how writers write. The writing process is a situation that is approached from various angles. In the writing process techniques and sequences from person to person are often diverse, but it is one of the ways one may be expressed. The goal of Perl study was to “see how unskilled writers write, can their writing process be analyzed in a systematic, replicable manner, and what does an increased understanding of their process suggest about nature of composing in general and the manner in which writing is taught in schools.” (191) With Perl performing this observation and collecting several amounts of data I decided to perform an observation on my writing by paying close attention to how I write. With analyzing I realized that my writing process have a very sequential pattern. I also have noticed that many acts of critical planning and editing are carried out through many of my writings and it has had a negative effect on the majority of my writing masterpieces. Subsequent to carefully critiquing my writing I have realized that all individuals have a different way they write.…

    • 1293 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Read Only Participants

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The “Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes” was a study on who are the read-only participate and how they impact in a negative way with the online learning community. A read only participant is participants who only read over discussions in a discussion forum and possibly use other’s discussion answers in their own answers/posts. The online learning community feels discontent for these read only participants because they are absent from group assignments and they usually make simple and incomplete contributions.…

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The article “ Inventing the University” is a piece about the association of student writing capabilities and their familiarity with the discourse in the communities of those who are reading their writing. This work was published in the Journal of Basic Writing in 1986 by David Bartholomae. The text is centered around Bartholomae’s thesis that “They (students) must learn to speak our language(CITATION)” David Bartholomae evaluates many excerpts from student essays to show the reader the importance of writing as if one is part of the community one is writing to.…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Challenges Faced by Hispanic Students in American Schools and How Schools Can Address Identified Needs…

    • 3855 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    University Success

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The online classroom relies on collaboration between students and instructor in order to promote successful learning experiences. Collaboration in an online classroom consists of student responses to the instructor’s questions. As students post their individual thoughts, other students respond to them adding their own perspectives, experiences, and knowledge. Once the conversations volley back and forth thru ought the course’s main forum true collaboration begins. According to the text University Success E2, “The keys to avoiding isolation are communication, collaboration, and networking” (Grand Canyon University, 2012). It is evident that collaboration in both an online and a traditional classroom is dependent on instruction, participation, as well as feedback and it is most effective when students participate several times a day. It is imperative that students are aware that they are responsible for their own collaboration by participating in interactions with other classmates and the instructor through the class wall, individual forum, e-mail, or chat rooms. A major advantage that comes from effective collaboration is the skills that students gain from being actively involved in…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Writing Development

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages

    At the young age of nine, my father who has been living in America for many years, decided to bring my siblings and I to travel across the continent to live with him. For the first nine years of my life, I had learned to live and practice the Filipino culture and speak its native language, Tagalog. However, in just a blink of an eye everything was about to change. As I arrived to America, I instantly had to learn the American culture as well as comprehend and speak the English language. With the tremendous influence from my family, school teachers and tutors, and reading countless literacy books, my English composition and comprehension have immensely improved.…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics