Explore the vast range of titles available.

This study investigates the potential of individual, collaborative, and E-collaborative writing modalities on the development of syntactic complexity (SC), their sustained effect on SC development, and the potential meditating role of SC of L1 (First Language) in SC of L2 (Second Language). To this end, 90 Iranian intermediate EFL learners participated in individual, collaborative, and E-collaborative writing treatments for 10 sessions. L2 SC on three measures of pre, post, and delayed posttests in three writing modalities were assessed using multidimensional SC measures. Besides, the role of L1 syntactic complexity preferences in L2 SC was examined. The results of ANOVA (analysis of variance) and Repeated Measure ANOVA indicated that individual writing had the highest potential in developing SC of L2 in comparison with other writing modalities. As far as sustainable development is concerned, only the effect of collaborative writing was sustained in delayed posttest. Regression through mediation analysis indicated that the degree of syntactic complexity in L1 significantly mediated L2 SC under individual writing and its mediating effect faded away in collaborative and E-collaborative writing. Analysis of students' perceived efficacy of writing modalities through theme elicitation analysis of students' reflective essay suggests that the centrality of the role of instructors, group leadership and environmental supports in computer mediated learning need to be revisited. Implications and future research directions were discussed.

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). Plain Language Summary The impact of Google-mediated collaborative writing on developing the global and local writing features of English as a Second Language students The use of web-based collaborative writing as a technical tool to enhance teamwork has become more widespread. This study aimed to investigate the effects of face-to-face and Google-mediated collaborative writing on global and local writing features (organization, development, cohesion, structure, vocabulary, and mechanics) as well as the overall writing quality of ESL students. The researcher selected 46 male students at level 3 for this study. He administered two writing tests before and after involving the students in the study. Two raters evaluated the scores to measure the quality and accuracy of writing on a scale ranging from 1 (the lowest score) to 10 (the highest score). The findings indicated that, while students did not pay attention to form (spelling, punctuation, or structure), Google-mediated collaborative writing improved their global writing features (organization, development, and cohesion) more than their local writing features (mechanics and structure). These findings implied that implementing Google-mediated collaborative writing can help ESL students advance and enhance their writing abilities. On the other hand, English teachers ought to focus more on their students’ sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation.

Few studies have examined the effects of using mediation tools (e.g., collaborative dialogs and online searches) on graduate students’ academic writing in a computer-mediated collaborative writing environment. This study investigated what types of co-constructed writing knowledge the graduate students generated from using the mediation tools to solve writing problems, and to what extent the co-constructed writing knowledge facilitated each student’s academic writing. Thirty-six Taiwanese graduate students, who studied English as a foreign language (EFL), volunteered to participate in an online collaborative writing program featuring developing argumentative essays. Data collected in this study include the students’ collaborative dialogs, online search logs, open-ended questionnaires, and the students’ collaborative and individual writing texts. The results show that the students using the mediation tools could generate two types of co-constructed writing knowledge in terms of language forms and skills of expressions, and they outperformed those who did not, in aspects of holistic performance, communicative quality, text organization, argumentation, linguistic accuracy, and linguistic appropriateness. It is concluded that students may co-construct writing knowledge to solve writing problems and improve both collaborative and individual writing through effective use of the mediation tools available in an online collaborative writing environment.

The purpose of the present study was to explore students’ perspectives on peer scaffolding in online collaborative writing activities. The study involved twenty third-year students enrolled in the Academic Writing course at the University of Phayao. These students were selected through purposive sampling and categorized into advanced, intermediate, and novice learners based on their writing proficiency. The instruments included online collaborative writing lesson plans covering six weeks, with each class lasting four hours. Data were collected from conversations observed and documented during the online collaborative writing activities. The results revealed that the EFL learners utilized various peer scaffolding behaviors throughout the online collaborative writing activities. Thai EFL learners at all proficiency levels were able to act as scaffolded for their peers, sharing their knowledge and skills, as they may have been expert writers in different areas.

They thought they felt something, perhaps. The wisp of an outline not distinct enough to trace. Good. They circled it, at times, and at other times found themselves within. As they walked (a sort of walking. Figurative but real. Digital, but here. Over months of events), it curled open and headed in several directions. Foldings in the backcloth that furrowed them along until, as they walked and talked, they felt that perhaps a territory was becoming simultaneously clearer and more obscure, that they might find a way to enquire, even as it meant becoming the folds themselves. As they coalesce, Scott, Jamie, and Dave each come to this project differently (of course). From their own situations, with their own problems and with different voices and ways of writing. We (for the first shift in voice) take post-qualitative inquiry to be infused with a question mark, wary of attempts to make it a ‘thing’. Yet here we are, drawn to potentials, to the opening of conditions, to the possibility of something still to come. We hope to make a shift, to realise (as in make manifest) ontology and its everyday performance as synonymous with environmental education. Environmental education as a life.

Student engagement as an important predictor of peer interaction and academic achievement has received considerable attention in second language classes. Despite its significance, how study groups engage in online writing activities in collaborative learning settings remains underexplored. To fill this gap, the present study explored how a group of four engaged in an 8-week computer-mediated collaborative writing (CMCW) project in a Chinese university English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Data were collected from multiple sources such as a pre-survey, audio-recorded discussions, and retrospective interviews. Findings identify three developmental periods of group engagement through task completion, namely breaking-in, growth, and proficiency periods. During each period, the four dimensions of group engagement (i.e., behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement) were ongoing and salient to varying extents and mutually influenced among the participants. Also, the learners utilized certain collaborative strategies to promote meaning negotiation and care for the quality of interactions. The study highlights the great potential of CMCW to form a sociocognitive learning community where the students can actively engage in learning, construct new knowledge, and promote language skills through not only cognitive processing but also mutual interaction between peers and instructors. Plain language summary Purpose: Student engagement has received fast-growing attention in second language education in recent decades. In this study, the researcher attempted to address the research gap that little attention was paid to group engagement in computer-mediated collaborative writing (CMCW) over time. Methods: This design-based case study took place at a Chinese public university in North China. Multiple data sources were used, including a survey, audio-recorded discussions, and interviews with the students. Conclusions: The study identifies three developmental periods of group engagement in CMCW, namely breaking-in, growth, and proficiency periods, in which the facets of group engagement were ongoing and salient to varying extents. Besides, CMCW showed great potential to form a learning community where the students can construct language knowledge and promote writing skills. Implications: Since group engagement may change across timescales, instructors had better design their teaching according to the features of different periods. Learners need to be encouraged to apply collaborative strategies appropriately for promoting group engagement in all respects. Limitations: Due to the small number of participants in the study, the findings may be hard to be used to explain the learners’ group engagement in other contexts. Also, long-term academic outcome is impossibly observable due to the short duration of the study.

PurposeWorking together in groups is a common and emphasized feature in today's society, and higher educational settings often utilize group assignments to enable students to develop collaborative skills. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe and analyze applied strategies and the patterns that emerge during students online collaborative writing in higher education group assignments. The research questions that this article aims to answer are (1) which patterns of students online collaborative writing emerge in higher education group assignments and (2) what strategies of online collaborative writing do higher education students apply in group assignments?Design/methodology/approachThis study's design builds on Conversation Analysis to explore visualizations of Google Docs revision history of online collaborative writing documents. Documents from 25 student groups were the basis of the analysis. The visualizations used in this project are produced with the DocuViz Chrome extension.FindingsThe findings suggest that visualizations can provide a quick and fairly accurate estimate of collaborative strategies used when students write together online. Three patterns of document growth were identified, two of which could be directly linked to strategies for collaboration. Cramming patterns are indicative of low collaboration and concentrating patterns with high levels of collaboration.Practical implicationsThe findings provide useful insight for teachers regarding the nature of collaboration taking place during online collaborative writing tasks. By visualizing the revision history, much can be learnt about the nature of the collaboration and of the individual group member's contributions in a student group that otherwise remains largely invisible to the teacher.Originality/valuePrior studies have combined visualizations with extensive analysis of document content. This investigation shows that an examination of the visualization of the document's revision history can be used to draw conclusions about the nature of collaboration during the online writing process.

Writing skills are important skills that must be learned to express one's thoughts and ideas. Therefore, several strategies were used in writing classes to enhance learners' writing skills, one of which is collaborative writing. A number of studies reported many advantages for this strategy in terms of the quality of the produced texts and the improvements in students' writing skills. The present study aimed at investigating the attitude of Saudi female EFL learners toward collaborative writing and the challenges/problems that may arise during the activity. It adopted a quantitative approach in which 50 Saudi female EFL learners answered a questionnaire about their experience in writing collaboratively and the problems they encountered during the activity. The findings have shown that the learners have a positive attitude toward collaborative writing. However, there were some problems in terms of students’ behavior, assessment and time management. These findings encourage writing teachers to use this strategy in their classes. In addition, the findings encourage teachers and researchers to address the problems reported in the study.

Can online collaboration yield a positive effect on academic writing in a foreign language? If so, what exactly is the value, compared to individual writing, and (how) does it translate to better output? These are the central questions addressed in this paper. Second language (L2) writing research has long highlighted the benefits of collaboration in terms of both L2 learning and text quality. Most recently, the positive effect of co-ownership and peer feedback on process and product has been emphasized in studies on computer-supported collaborative writing. What has remained underexplored is the impact of Web 2.0 technologies onadvancedL2 writing. The present paper bridges this gap through an empirical study combining Web 2.0 technologies with an academic writing task. Collaborative and individual writing processes and products are compared by applying a mixed-methods approach. Results shed new light on claims made in previous studies that collaboration leads to higher text accuracy. No statistically relevant difference was found between the individual and collaborative syntheses in terms of complexity, accuracy, and fluency. However, collaborative texts score significantly higher on appropriate content selection and organization. Analysis of the process data shows that this is due to in-depth discussions during the planning phase.

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools has become a game-changer in educational practices, particularly in collaborative academic writing. This study explores gender-based disparities in perceptions, emotions, and self-efficacy regarding students’ utilization of AI tools during a collaborative Wikibook writing project. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research investigates how male and female undergraduates in Hong Kong perceive the usefulness and ease of use of ChatGPT 3.5 and Padlet AI image generation function, as well as their emotions and self-efficacy when engaging with these tools. Using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and an independent sample t-test, the study compares gender perspectives with a sample size of 140 undergraduates. The results reveal that (1) both genders found the AI tools beneficial for language polishing and essay reconstruction in academic writing; (2) both genders experienced a range of emotions, including enjoyment, satisfaction, frustration, anxiety and tension during the writing task; (3) both male and female students demonstrated AI literacy to critically evaluate AI-generated information. These findings underscore the importance of fostering an equitable and engaging approach to AI-supported learning environments for both genders. The study highlights the benefits of AI tools in enhancing learning outcomes and emphasizes the role of students’ AI literacy in ensuring the responsible and effective use of these tools as learning partners.