Collaborative Writing Research Articles

(Dis)placed Contributions: Uncovering Hidden Hurdles to Collaborative Writing Involving Non-Native Speakers, Native Speakers, and AI-Powered Editing Tools

Content creation today often takes place via collaborative writing. A longstanding interest of CSCW research lies in understanding and promoting the coordination between co-writers. However, little attention has been paid to individuals who write in their non-native language and to co-writer groups involving them. We present a mixed-method study that fills the above gap. Our participants included 32 co-writer groups, each consisting of one native speaker (NS) of English and one non-native speaker (NNS) with limited proficiency. They performed collaborative writing adopting two different workflows: half of the groups began with NNSs taking the first editing turn and half had NNSs act after NSs. Our data revealed a 'late-mover disadvantage' exclusively experienced by NNSs: an NNS's ideational contributions to the joint document were suppressed when their editing turn was placed after an NS's turn, as opposed to ahead of it. Surprisingly, editing help provided by AI-powered tools did not exempt NNSs from being disadvantaged. Instead, it triggered NSs' overestimation of NNSs' English proficiency and agency displayed in the writing, introducing unintended tensions into the collaboration. These findings shed light on the fair assessment and effective promotion of a co-writer's contributions in language diverse settings. In particular, they underscore the necessity of disentangling contributions made to the ideational, expressional, and lexical aspects of the joint writing.

Replication research in L2 collaborative writing: Replications of Fernández Dobao (2012) and Bikowski and Vithanage (2016)

Abstract Over the past two decades in the applied linguistics subfield of second language (L2) writing, there has been considerable interest in the topic of collaborative writing (CW). Studies in this domain have investigated different phenomena such as the nature of learner-to-learner interactions, the learning outcomes of CW, and students' perceptions of these activities when implemented in the classroom. Despite the large number of studies that have been published to date, replication research has been scarce. As such, the current article opens by making a case for replication work in the area of L2 CW, arguing why such research is both important and necessary. Following this, the article turns to a discussion of two key CW studies that have been highly influential in the L2 writing sphere. These studies are described in detail, and suggestions are provided as to how and why these studies might be replicated in the future.

Gender Differences in Saudi EFL Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions toward the Impact of Collaborative Writing

Given the importance of collaborative writing, it has been generally investigated and discussed in different educational aspects. Gender difference is a factor that could contribute to the impact of collaborative writing. Therefore, the current study tried to illuminate the perceptions of gender differences among Saudi EFL undergraduate students regarding the effect of collaborative writing on written and social skills. Therefore, the study utilized an online survey adapted from previous studies and modified to fix the statements to the study's aims. The survey was distributed online on Telegram via different channels, and (N = 74 Saudi undergraduate students) attending different universities in Saudi Arabia, with an equal number of 37 females and males, took part in the study. Furthermore, the independent sample t-test was used to analyze the data, and the results showed no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of both genders toward the impact of collaborative writing on both written and social development. These findings suggest further studies in this regard by employing more than one instrument to gain more in-depth data about how gender differences and cultural and educational background might impact the perceptions of students toward collaborative writing.

A comparative study of developing L1 and L2 writers’ metalinguistic activity in collaborative writing tasks among young Basque immersion learners

ENGLISH ABSTRACT Studies analysing the metatalk generated in collaborative writing (CW) tasks have primarily targeted secondary or adult students who wrote either in L1 or L2, and have seldom examined the process of their writing in two languages. Furthermore, these analyses have mostly focused on accuracy discussions and have ignored discussions aimed at making stylistic decisions. This study compared the metalinguistic activity of 65 bilingual Spanish-Basque Primary school students (at the age of 10–11 years) writing in L1 (Spanish) and L2 (Basque). Students’ conversations in the two languages were scrutinised and later compared for Language-Related Episodes (LRE). Similarities were observed between the two languages regarding the number of LREs and their correct resolutions. However, differences arose regarding the focus of the LREs: more morphosyntactic LREs were produced in L2 Basque, whereas spelling LREs were the most common in L1 Spanish. Additionally, L2 Basque had more accuracy-driven LREs and L1 Spanish had more stylistic LREs. The results are discussed in terms of maturity and proficiency: more attention is paid to spelling at younger ages owing to the immature development of transcription rules, and more discussions are made on style as language proficiency increases.

The effect of collaboration on the adolescent EFL learners’ writing performance

ABSTRACT Research on L2 collaborative writing (CW), where learners work together to co-construct a single text, has received increased attention in the last decades. Studies with adult learners have shown that collaboration benefits learners’ written products in terms of quantitative measures of accuracy and, more rarely, complexity and fluency (CAF) as well as qualitative global ratings. Additionally, research has shown that when adult learners work in pairs, they generate and resolve correctly a large number of language-related episodes (LREs). However, little is known as to whether CW benefits the writing performance of secondary school EFL learners, and to what extent these learners are able to produce and resolve LREs correctly. To address these two gaps, the present study compared the writing performance of 96 adolescent learners in Kosovo, assigned to work in pairs (n = 32) or individually (n = 32), and analysed the LREs produced by the pairs. The results suggest that pairs produced better texts in terms of CAF as well as overall text quality. Pairs also generated and resolved correctly a large proportion of LREs. In light of these findings, the use of CW is established as a viable pedagogic tool in the teaching of L2 writing with adolescent EFL learners.

The Impact of Collaborative Writing on OmaniGrade 9 Students’ Writing Performance and theirPerceptions

The Impact of Collaborative Writing on OmaniGrade 9 Students’ Writing Performance and theirPerceptions

Correction to: Manner and Quality of Negotiation During L2 Collaborative Writing

Correction to: Manner and Quality of Negotiation During L2 Collaborative Writing

EFL teacher beliefs about collaborative writing at Swedish primary school

ABSTRACT Writing is a key component of primary EFL education and the way it is taught can influence pupils’ language learning. To enhance written and overall proficiency, collaborative writing (CW) has been advocated, but few CW studies include teachers of young learners. Their views on writing instruction are relevant to consider, since they can have an impact on classroom teaching and pupils’ progress in EFL. This study therefore adopts semi-structured interviews with 15 Swedish EFL teachers to explore their beliefs about how CW affects 10–12-year-olds’ EFL learning opportunities. A reflexive thematic analysis generated six themes, where perceived beneficial outcomes of CW concern vocabulary expansion, writing improvement, motivation and a decrease in foreign language anxiety. Constraints, according to the teachers, relate to grouping pupils to maximise linguistic gains and finding time for CW. The study concludes that the teachers believe CW to be a multifaceted approach that potentially supports young learners as EFL users in general and writers specifically.

The Effect of Google-Mediated Collaborative Writing on English as a Second Language Students’ Global and Local Writing Features

In recent decades, web-based collaborative writing has become popular as a technical technique for improving collaboration. The study explored the effect of Google-mediated collaborative writing (henceforth GMCW) and face-to-face collaborative writing (henceforth FTFCW) on developing English as a Second Language (henceforth ESL) students’ global and local writing features (organization, development, cohesion, structure, vocabulary, and mechanics). Despite the emphasis English language instructors in Saudi universities place on writing skills, students still face challenges in achieving proficiency in writing. The study included 46 male students at level 3 from the Qassim University English Language Department. An experimental study was used, along with a post-questionnaire, as additional material to collect students’ perceptions. In addition to using the independent t-test to compare the mean in the post-test of the two groups, a paired t-test was used to compare the mean in the pre-test and post-test of the same group. The researcher used a two-by-two mixed ANOVA to examine how students’ global and local writing features (such as organization, development, and cohesion) changed when they collaborated face-to-face or via Google Docs. The results showed that the Google-mediated collaborative writing post-test mean was greater than face-to-face collaborative writing in all writing features, and the difference was statistically significant. The questionnaire revealed that Google-mediated collaborative writing raised confidence, encouraged teamwork, instructed students on how to engage in peer feedback, and increased their willingness to use Google Docs for further assignments. Google-mediated collaborative writing benefited students more in terms of their writing quality (organization, development, and cohesion) than their writing accuracy (mechanics and structure). Google-mediated collaborative writing did not pay attention to form (spelling, punctuation, or structure). In contrast, students’ perceptions of the global and local writing aspects of face-to-face collaborative writing negatively impacted organization, development, and cohesion. The face-to-face collaborative writing students focused more on the essay form (mechanics and structure) than on the content (organization, development, and cohesion).

Collaborative Writing Teaching Mode in “Technical Writing” Course Under the Smart Classroom Environment

Please refer to the URL that includes this article for the abstract.

Understanding Teachers' Practices of Implementing Collaborative Writing in L2 Classrooms: A Case Study

Understanding Teachers' Practices of Implementing Collaborative Writing in <scp>L2</scp> Classrooms: A Case Study

Trends and Developments in Online Collaborative Writing: A Bibliometric Review

The digital era has revolutionized educational practices, with online collaborative writing emerging as a pivotal approach in fostering student engagement, critical thinking, and communication skills. This bibliometric study aims to analyze the trends and developments in research on online collaborative writing over the past decade, highlighting key contributions, research methodologies, and thematic focuses within the field. By employing bibliometric tools such as VOSviewer and Bibliometrics, the study examines publications from leading academic databases, offering insights into the evolution of this pedagogical method. The findings reveal significant growth in the number of studies, with a particular surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis also uncovers a predominance of quantitative research designs, particularly quasi-experimental studies, while identifying gaps in qualitative research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of online collaborative writing research, suggesting future directions for investigation and emphasizing the relevance of this practice beyond educational settings in an increasingly digital and collaborative world.

Exploring the Effect of Autonomous Online Collaborative Writing on EFL Learners

The study examines EFL student writers' perspectives on autonomous online collaborative writing without the teacher's guidance. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, utilizing a quantitative questionnaire as the primary method and a qualitative interview as a supplementary approach. Thirty-six students from the Qassim University English Language Department participated in the study. The quantitative results showed that autonomous online collaborative writing was ineffective at helping students complete their written drafts. Qualitative analysis identified the negative attitude behind the students’ dissatisfaction and emphasized the teacher’s role in online collaborative writing. Online collaborative writing requires significant effort and collaboration from each team member; thus, the teacher plays an important role in leading, stepping in when necessary, and giving continuing assistance.

Learning Writing Online and Online Collaborative Writing

Online collaborative writing views and factors have yet to be discussed despite its ease and popularity in this era. This study examines online collaborative writing and its motivation and demotivation aspects. It also looks into the relationship between learning writing online and online collaborative writing. This quantitative study obtained responses from 123 language learners. The questionnaire consists of 6 sections with 63 items in total. Findings show positive perception and relation towards learning writing online and online collaborative writing. This study shed light on the benefits and limitations of online writing, especially on the teaching and learning aspects.

Japanese Language Learners’ Revision Behavior in Online Collaborative Writing

Japanese Language Learners’ Revision Behavior in Online Collaborative Writing

The Immediate Effects of Collaborative Writing on Omani University Students

Collaborative writing is considered to be one of the most important approaches in the second language classroom. This paper explored the effects of practicing collaborative writing in Omani classrooms for eight teaching hours, analyzed six pairs’ dialogues and, interviewed four students and their teacher. Significant immediate effects were established and an insight into students’ attitudes and problems was identified. From the research, two main findings emerge; first, the immediate effects included signs of noticing and transfer of knowledge; an increase in motivation; critical reading and sharing knowledge through discussion; and second, positive attitudes of students towards collaborative writing were found. Therefore, this research recommends that Omani students require collaborative writing in the classroom and they need to be trained in it.

Enhancing Students’ Writing Skill by Using Collaborative Writing At The Third Semester Students of The English Study Program Of The Muhammadiyah University Of Bengkulu

This study was aimed to investigate how collaborative writing improved students’ writing skill. The research subject was class A of third semester students at Muhammadiyah University of Bengkulu. This research was qualitative research which focused on classroom action research (CAR). The data were collected from field note, observation checklist, students’ final draft analysis and by recording the whole process of classroom action research, either before or during the implementation of the actions. The finding of the research indicated: (1)The collaborative writing had been effectively improved students’ writing skill particularly in writing anessay. (2) The collaborative writing is very feasible to be implemented in teaching writing. Finally, the reseacher suggested that there should be some other reseachers conducting some researches about the collaborative technique to enhance students’ other language skills.

Enhancing collaboration: Exploring regulated learning strategies in the co-regulatory processes of collaborative L2 writing

Collaborative writing (CW) is a pedagogical practice that requires active engagement from all participants to create more L2 learning opportunities, which help to develop metacognitive awareness and writing autonomy. In self-regulated learning research, learners apply various regulated learning (RL) strategies to monitor their individual process within a task. These same RL strategies can be applied to the co-regulatory processes of CW, but to regulate themselves, their partners and/or social group at different co-construction stages (Hadwin & Miller, 2017). While current CW research highlights L2 development benefits, less is known about how pairs with collaborative orientations use RL strategies during co-regulatory processes. To fill this gap, this study aims to identify the RL strategies that students with collaborative orientations use to maintain their collaborative patterns of interaction. Through a Sociocultural Theory perspective, the transcribed audio recordings of six international postgraduate students during two CW activities were examined using languaging episodes as the basic unit of analysis before coding each episode for RL strategies and three regulatory agents. The findings revealed how pairs used varied RL strategies when addressing local and/or global issues to maintain collaborative patterns. They were able to appropriate some knowledge from the first CW activity to the second by applying various RL strategies to improve on time management and writing efficiency. Understanding the dynamic co-regulatory process sheds additional light on how RL strategies can be appropriated as conceptual knowledge to co-writing collaboratively.

Metacognitive Instruction for Improving the Effectiveness of Collaborative Writing for EFL Learners’ Writing Development

AbstractThere has been substantial research on the effects of metacognitive instruction on improving L2 learners’ language skills. However, little is known about the impact of such instruction on improving the effectiveness of L2 students’ collaborative writing. To fill this research gap, we conducted a quasi-experimental study to investigate how such an instructional programme would help Chinese EFL learners’ writing development through collaborative writing. A total of 62 post-graduate students from a university in central China were randomly allocated to either an experimental group receiving three weeks of collaborative writing interventions with metacognitive instruction for writing collaboratively, or a control group that was taught via a genre-based approach. Pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-tests were administered with both groups at the onset, immediately after, and six weeks after the interventions to compare their change in writing production, specifically in lexical complexity, accuracy, and fluency. Results revealed that the metacognitive instruction and collaborative writing interventions helped improve participants’ writing performance in lexical variation, accuracy, and fluency. However, no significant effects were observed in lexical density and lexical sophistication. We discuss the results for their pedagogical and theoretical implications.

Collaborative Writing Learning in Inquiry to Improve Critical Thinking Skills

Collaborative Writing Learning in Inquiry to Improve Critical Thinking Skills