Group Dynamics across Interaction Modes in L2 Collaborative Wiki Writing

Abstract

Abstract Understanding group dynamics is crucial in L2 collaborative writing, as it impacts linguistic negotiations and text quality. Previous studies have mostly identified a group’s predominant interaction pattern in relation to members’ task contributions (equality) and their engagement with each other’s contributions (mutuality). However, the convergent nature of wikis incorporates multiple interaction modes within the same platform (e.g., discussion mode and edit mode), which afford varying degrees of transparency. This study examined the fluidity of interaction patterns exhibited by four groups of L2 writers in the discussion and edit modes as they co-authored short stories on a wiki. Results indicate that while mutuality was relatively stable across interaction modes, all groups displayed higher equality in the discussion than in the edit mode. Writers also seemed to converge the two modes to navigate authorship and achieve communicative purposes. Furthermore, the study explored connections between interaction patterns and text quality. Groups exhibiting high mutuality fully developed their plots and wrote longer stories, but there was no effect on accuracy, stylistics or genre appropriateness. The findings underscore the fluidity of interaction patterns across interaction modes with varying levels of transparency and highlight the importance of mutuality as a driver of text quality.