Language Learning & Technology;
February 2012, Volume 16, Number 1 pp. 91-109
Greg Kessler, Dawn Bikowksi, and
Jordan Boggs
(Ohio University)
The research was conducted to study on
the ways students engaged in the collaborative writing process using Web-based
word processing tools of Google Docs and the nature of group participation in
Web-based collaborative writing. With the newer technologies of Web-based word
processing tools, the researchers have the ability to monitor students’
participation throughout the writing process as they analyzed group
collaborative texts produced in Google Docs. First, the researchers analyzed
students’ activity in order to determine students’ participation in the
collaborative writing process. Then, the researchers categorized students’
writing and the usage of Web space according to their revision and
participation activity. Other than that, survey research was conducted to give
insight on the students’ perceptions of collaborative writing and their
frequency of participation. This sample of the study is consists of
thirty-eight Fulbright scholars in a pre-academic orientation program of
Midwestern university, as the focus was to prepare them for the academic
research, writing and presentation skills of the US academic community. The
findings of this study focus on the three case study teams’ individual member
participation and construction of texts regarding the team members’ language
related contributions (LRC) and non-language related contribution (NLRC). From
the analysis of LRC, the attention was given to meaning rather than the
elements of form and other. This shows that students focus more on the meaning
rather than the form. Besides, in terms of NLRC analysis, the researchers also
emphasize on the usage of Web-based word processing tools as the medium for the
students to plan and organize their text as they communicate with other team
members by using different font to differentiate it with their final document. On
the other hand, the survey results show that students appreciated various
aspects of the Web-based collaborative writing activity as they successfully
worked together and each member played an important role in the writing
process.
I
would say the research has captured my attention as it has given me the insight
of mixed method of learning style in acquiring the knowledge of writing. First,
it emphasized on the collaborative writing and how they still maintain the
autonomous learning as every team member is contributed to the writing process.
Second, the application of the web-based word processing tool is used as a
medium for the students to work together to write but also as a medium for them
to discuss in planning and organizing their task. I believe that by combining
several methods in learning helps the students to improve their ways of
learning and give them insight on the strategies to learn better. Using the
newer technology of Google Docs, learners can easily work in groups
simultaneously as they can edit or add throughout the writing process. The ease
of the process is not only felt by the learners but also the teachers or
facilitators, as they do not need to formally collect the writing draft from
the students as they can monitor students’ writing progress online using the
web-based word processing tool. The other advantage of using this tool, students
can easily access to the previous text that they have edited, thus, they will
be less afraid to change, add or remove any text if they find it wrong. However,
based on the findings of the study, the students’ participation are varied
according to the three levels of frequency as there will be one of the members
that contributed the most, one is in the middle and another one contributed the
least. The factors or reasons of this result were not studied by the
researchers. Moreover, this study is a voluntary project as it is not graded
which I believe some students might not care with the record participation that
are recorded by the researchers and maybe some of them using a same computer at
the same time. In relating the study with the teaching and learning in
Malaysia, I think this learning style is still not being implemented at school
or at the tertiary level of education. A simpler web-based tool has been
implemented, such as I-Learn by UiTM but the concept is more like a discussion
board or online forum as it does not allow students to write and edit
simultaneously for learning writing specifically. In Malaysia, teaching writing
is still limited to the old-fashioned way of drafting and editing on paper. I
think collaborative writing by using web-based tool should be implemented to
the young age students as this will make them familiar with the web-based tool
and how it functions. Besides, by implementing collaborative writing, the
writing process would be more student-centered as to let them share the ideas
and practice scaffolding. Students that have the ability to write well can help
the weak ones throughout the writing process and provide the final peer-edited
writing before the teacher evaluates it. In a nutshell, I think this study is
conducted well as it gives insight to the ESL learners on the strategies of
learning academic writing as it involves every stages of the writing process.
