Experimenting with English Collaborative Writing on Google Sites

Experimenting with English Collaborative Writing on Google Sites Nicole J. Tavares Faculty of Education The University of Hong Kong

P.5 Pre-Test on ‘Reading & Writing’ in 2009/10 • Capacity-Building Workshop in July 2010 • Understanding the TSA assessment criteria • Teaching writing using a genre-based approach • Making peer evaluation more accessible to the P.5s • Giving quality feedback to students • Stage 1 (1st Term) 2010-11: Collaborative Writing on Paper • Sharing roles and responsibilities when writing as a team • Making effective use of peer evaluations and teacher feedback • Stage 2 (2nd Term) 2010-11: Collaborative Writing on Wiki • Enjoying the collaborative writing process • Refining their reading and writing skills P.5 Post-Test on ‘Reading & Writing’

Web 2.0 Technologies… • read-write nature (Alexander, 2006) • provide students with a genuine audience which enhances their motivation(Lo & Hyland, 2007) • promote social (and achievement) motivation • allow students to work at their own pace and helps them develop a positive attitude towards the writing process(Woo, Chu, Ho & Li, 2011) • encourages students to be actively involved in knowledge co-construction (Boulos et al., 2006) and in the co-writing processes (Parker & Chao, 2007) Centre for Information Technology in Education

Writing is… Centre for Information Technology in Education ‘a complex, cognitive process that requires intellectual effort over a considerable period of time.’ (White & Ardnt, 1991) 4

‘One can get close to perfection through producing, reflecting on, discussing, and reworking successive drafts or a text.’ (Nunan, 1991, p. 272) Centre for Information Technology in Education

CPS: Lost Group brainstorming  Individual writing on paper  Postings on Google Sites for group and teacher feedback KF: Our Weekend Activities Individual paragraph writing  Teacher + student feedback  One group entry 4 Different Approaches WSK: Good Person, Good Deeds Collaborative writing on Google Sites CCSH: Cheung Chau Bun Festival Group mind-mapping  Presentations in class  Peer evaluations Group script-writing on Google Sites  Whole-class project

Peer Pressure to Write

Peer Support

Students respond as audience

Content – 1

Content – 2 Centre for Information Technology in Education

Content – 3 Centre for Information Technology in Education

Development of Ideas – 1 Centre for Information Technology in Education

Development of Ideas – 2 Centre for Information Technology in Education

Development of Ideas – 3

Grammar & Spelling – 1

Grammar & Spelling – 4 Centre for Information Technology in Education

Process Writing – 1 Centre for Information Technology in Education

Peer Learning Centre for Information Technology in Education

Significant Revisions based on Feedback

Let’s reflect on this… T1: “I do not think there is any benefit because students write on paper first and type it on Google Sites later.” S5A: “… our teacher requires us to write it on paper first. Then we type it on Google Sites after the teacher’s marking. Hence, it is useless. T1: “Students only know little vocabulary and their English standard is not high. They are not able to comment on other classmates’ writing.” Centre for Information Technology in Education

What we have found – 1 T2: “…students are no longer restricted by the limited time; they can do their work whenever they like.” S1B: “If we use Google Sites for writing, we can save our work and amend it at home.” S3H: “Google Sites is better as there is a chatbox so we can chat with others at our own homes instead of having to meet outside.” S5A: “…both at home and at school.” S3F: “We can share with each other at anytime and anywhere. We need not to write it down, or go to others’ home.” S1A: “If we use Google Sites, all group members can do the group project at the same time, unlike Microsoft Word. It is simpler and easier to manage.” S5C: “If you save it, you can log in and access it on any computer. It is more convenient than using paper.” S3J: “…We need not gather in front of one computer, or need not do it separately on our own computers using ‘read-only’. Google Sites allows multi-users to amend and save the documents simultaneously…” S5D: “It is quite easy to lose sheets that we print out. We can open the file any time if save it on Google Sites. Centre for Information Technology in Education

What we have found – 2 T3: “…it can train the students themselves on how to get along with others and how to cooperate with others, to appreciate others’ work and ideas.” S3: “Google Sites allows all team members discuss together at the same time…” S3K: “…Google Sites is a collaborative environment which allows us to do our work more conveniently. It is a platform for us to do our work and amend it together, as well as communicate with each other on our work.” S4B: “…it can enhance the communication between groupmates.” S6C: “If there were no Google Sites, we might have quarrels because of different opinions and ideas. Google Sites allow us to do the project together and amend those errors as a group.” S7: “…it can further improve our cooperation skills.” Centre for Information Technology in Education

What we have found – 3 T3: “All the students have the right to evaluate other groups’ work and later the groups share their work with the other class and comment on their work. S5C: “If we use Google Sites as the collaborative platform, we read the writings from other classes and comment on our classmates’ work in order to exchange views. If we write it on paper, we can just read a few pieces of writings.” T3: “It can promote the writing skills of a group of students – not only one student.” S1D: “I can access Google Sites easily to read other students’ writing.” S1C: “Google Sites allows other people to comment on our work and we can learn more from that.” S1A: “…we can save our work easily on Google Sites and show our work to others. S6A: “Group members can help you to correct your mistakes if they discover any you make.” Centre for Information Technology in Education

What we have found – 4 S1A: “Working online is more convenient and we have the motivation to accomplish the task.” S1B: “Using the pen-and-paper method is boring. We think typing is better than handwriting our compositions.” S2D: “I’ll be easily tired if I use a pen to write.” S1C: “Typing is an environmental friendly method that can save paper.” S2D: “If we type something wrong, we can simply press the ‘delete’ button to amend the errors. If we write something wrong on paper, we have to waste correction pen.” S6A: “I think using Google Sites to do projects is a quicker method. If we use paper and pen, we have to rewrite on a new sheet when we make mistakes. We can just type and save it on Google Sites.” S7: “Usually, when we use pen and paper [for doing projects], [the paper] will easily get lost and cannot be found. However, for Google Sites, we can save the information. We can avoid losing the information and having to do the whole thing again.” S6B: “Google Sites can increase our productivity.” S2A: “We use the computer (Google Sites) to write which greatly arouses my interest in writing in English.” Centre for Information Technology in Education

What we have found – 5 S5B: “If I only use Google Sites, I cannot beautify my work as I cannot do it on the computer. The work would be more beautiful if I drew pictures directly on the sheets.” S2B: “When I used the pen-and-paper method to write in the past, I have a habit that I’ll draw some pictures around my writing. Now, we can find pictures from Yahoo. It would be an easier method.” S3J: “…writing is not that tidy and beautiful.” T2: “…they can obtain a lot of information online, e.g. use the online dictionary.” S1C: “We can look words up in the online dictionary in Google Sites if there are words we do not know.” S7: “we can check those words we do not know using the dictionary [on Google Sites], and can translate the Chinese words into English … for those words we do not know.” S6D: “If there are some words that we don’t know how to spell, we can look them up in the dictionary immediately by using the computer.” Centre for Information Technology in Education

Observations & Reflections • Only beneficial to high achievers? • Students do read (and write) more • Getting students to write and learn to cite but not just ‘copy and paste’ • Encouraging all students play the peer reviewer’s role • Additional avenue for the teacher to diagnose students’ understanding

Observations & Reflections • Only beneficial to high achievers? • Students do read (and write) more • Getting students to write and learn to cite but not just ‘copy and paste’ • Encouraging all students play the peer reviewer’s role • Additional avenue for the teacher to diagnose students’ understanding • Opportunities students to raise questions • Teachers making use of students’ feedback • Too short? Very long!

Teacher as Facilitator

Observations & Reflections • Only beneficial to high achievers? • Students do read (and write) more • Getting students to write and learn to cite but not ‘copy’ • Encouraging all students play the peer reviewer’s role • Additional avenue for the teacher to diagnose students’ understanding • Integrating web-based collaborative writing into the curriculum • A more gradual and systematic approach • Web-based or pen-and-paper writing • Why not accept L1 in online discussions? • Opportunities students to raise questions • Teachers making use of students’ feedback • Too short? Very long!

Should we discourage the use of L1?

Observations & Reflections • Only beneficial to high achievers? • Students do read (and write) more • Getting students to write and learn to cite but not ‘copy’ • Encouraging all students play the peer reviewer’s role • Additional avenue for the teacher to diagnose students’ understanding • Grasping opportunities for teacher learning • Opportunities students to raise questions • Teachers making use of students’ feedback • Too short? Very long! • Integrating web-based collaborative writing into the curriculum • A more gradual and systematic approach • Web-based or pen-and-paper writing • Why not accept L1 in online discussions?

There’s a lot we can learn from them 

Experimenting with English Collaborative Writing on Google Sites