Despite the solid evidence that online collaborative writing (CW) tasks benefit language learning, little is known about whether the computer-mediated communication (CMC) modality may impact the potential of online CW tasks in foreign language classrooms. This study examined the effect of task modality on the utility of CW tasks in language…

This study compares the effects of two resources, a paper rubric (CR) or the comment bubbles from a word processor (CCB), to support peer co-evaluation of expository texts in primary education. A total of 57 students wrote a text which, after a peer co-evaluation process, was rewritten. To analyze the improvements in the texts, we used a rubric…

Writing is essential for all students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills across various subject areas and tasks. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) indicate that first graders should write opinion papers, explanatory texts, and narratives. Further, the CCSS requires students beginning in kindergarten to explore digital tools to produce…

Writing is usually the last skill to be touched upon in language classrooms, and more so, in the EFL or ESL classroom. Even so, postponing or the tendency to avoid the writing task is a common hindrance created by the learners, but is definitely one that retards the learning of the skill. The current study aimed to examine the efficacy of working…

This study compared the effects of computer-mediated (CM) versus pen-and-paper (P&P) writing on written accuracy and feedback processing in tasks written and rewritten collaboratively following a pedagogical treatment in two intact authentic classrooms. The study involved 32 secondary education low-proficiency English-as-a-foreign-language…

Aim/Purpose: In this study, the authors examine how an online word processing tool can be used to encourage participation among students of different language backgrounds, including English Language Learners. To be exact, the paper discusses whether student participation in anonymous collaborative writing via Google Docs can lead to more…

Online teaching and learning became popular with the evolution of the World Wide Web now days. Implementing online learning tools within EFL contexts will help better address the multitude of teaching and learning styles. Difficulty in academic writing can be considered one of the common problems that students face in and outside their classrooms.…

Google Docs, an online word processing application, is a promising tool for collaborative learning. However, many college instructors and students lack knowledge to effectively use Google Docs to enhance teaching and learning. Goals of this study include (1) assessing the effectiveness of using Google Docs in an out-of-class collaborative writing…

As collaboration among teams that are distributed in time and space is becoming increasingly important, there is a need to understand the efficacy of tools available to support that collaboration. This study employs a combination of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Task-Technology Fit (TTF) model to compare four different technologies…

This study investigates Web-based, project oriented, many-to-many collaborative writing for academic purposes. Thirty-eight Fulbright scholars in an orientation program at a large Midwestern university used a Web-based word processing tool to collaboratively plan and report on a research project. The purpose of this study is to explore and…

Recounts a conversation with author Ken Kesey. Describes a year-long graduate writing course in which Kesey and his students collaborated on a novel. Explains how the novel was written and how characters and plot were developed. Suggests that, if available to the class, computers would have simplified the writing. (SG)

Describes how a class of 13 academically average high school students, inspired by an earlier article in this journal, collaboratively wrote a story. Notes that the students continued to revise their story even after it came back from the printers. (RS)

Examines the learning benefits which may accrue from using desk-top publishing techniques with children, especially in terms of the development of literacy skills. Analyzes desk-top publishing as an extension of word processing and describes some ways of using desk-top publishing in the classroom. (RS)

Reports an interview with writer Ken Kesey. Discusses Kesey's cooperative novel-writing project with a class of graduate students from the University of Oregon. (MM)

Examines the work of five researchers who have conducted studies of writing with computers or writing with computer-assisted instruction in the following areas: composing with word processing; writing improvement attributed to computers; instructional software; computer networks for writing; and collaborative writing through telecommunications.…