Applying Online Collaborative Writing to Enhance SIU Sophomore English Majors’ Writing Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210226.008Keywords:
online collaborative learning, writing skills, perceptionsAbstract
Online learning that makes learning more engaging and stimulating has long been a part of 21st-century education. This case study explores how online collaborative writing helps to improve EFL students’ writing skills and how students perceive the use of this teaching method. The Saigon International University participants included 19 English-majored students who practiced writing collaboratively with Google Documents throughout a 15-week Writing course. They were first instructed to individually brainstorm vocabulary and structures needed for an essay before working together in groups to create an essay outline. The lecturer played the role of a facilitator to assign tasks for each group, supervise, and provide instant feedback during the process of essay writing. Data were collected through a pre-test, a post-test, and questionnaires, and then were analyzed using the mixed methods approach. The results indicated that most participants made a significant improvement in their writing abilities as well as tended to have a positive attitude towards this innovative method. Due to the lack of past literature exploring the impacts of such an online teaching approach on enhancing writing skills, this case study is of vital importance as it provides an in-depth understanding of the educational technology for improving learning performance.
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Copyright (c) 2021 Nguyen Thi Kim Chung, Tong Trieu Anh Thu, Le Thi Ngoc Tuyen, Nguyen Long Tien
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