Synchronous Computer-mediated L2 Chinese Collaborative Writing: Peer Interaction, Text Quality, and Learner Perceptions

Abstract

In recent decades, collaborative writing (CW) has gained more popularity in L2 learning settings as a useful pedagogical activity, and a large body of empirical research has confirmed its benefits. Through peer interaction, CW contributes to the construction of linguistic knowledge, which in turn contributes to the learning of L2 (Swain, 1998; Swain & Lapkin, 1998, 2001; Watanabe & Swain, 2007). CW also provides the social context for L2 learners’ language development by sharing ideas, pooling their language resources, providing collective scaffolding (Donato, 1994; Ohta, 2001; Swain, 2000; Swain et al., 2002), as well as internalizing the knowledge they co-create with their peers (Thorne & Hellermann, 2015; Wertsch, 1979). As CW benefits are closely associated with peer interaction, a critical issue involves how peer interaction influences the implementation and outcome of CW in the progressive unfolding of the CW activity. Despite previous research suggesting that group dynamics contribute to the divergences in generating L2 learning opportunities and text qualities, no L2 Chinese CW research has yet to examine (a) how group dynamics, as manifested in peer interaction patterns, are shaped as the task interaction unfolds; (b) how interaction patterns may lead to variations in CW text qualities, and different aspects of learners’ collaborative dialogues; and (c) how learners’ perceptions and attitudes reflect their participation in CW. This study set out to bridge these research gaps by investigating the relationship between peer interaction, text quality, and learner perceptions during a CW task conducted in an L2 Chinese context. Forty-six high-intermediate L2 Chinese learners worked in 23 pairs to complete a CW writing task in which they jointly wrote an argumentative essay using Google Docs as a co-authoring platform and Zoom as a video-conferencing tool to communicate with each other synchronously. Twenty-three pair interaction videos were transcribed and analyzed to identify the dyadic interaction patterns, peers’ collaborative dialogues, and participants’ interactional practices. Twenty-three co-constructed essays were collected and analyzed for text quality using an analytic scoring rubric. Additionally, forty-six participants’ pre- and post-task survey responses were collected and analyzed to examine their perceptions and attitudes towards CW. A number of quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to understand the complex interactions between peer interaction, text quality, and learner perceptions. The principal findings indicated that participants working in more collaborative dyads displayed higher levels of mutuality, produced CW texts of higher quality, and generated more language-learning opportunities. Furthermore, participants in more collaborative dyads reported more positive task experiences than those who worked in less collaborative dyads. The findings of this study shed light on the role that peer interaction plays in CW activities and how peer collaboration types can affect other aspects of CW including text quality, collaborative dialogues, and learners’ perceptions. In terms of methodological contribution, this study provides more fine-grained guidelines and incorporates a micro-analytical approach to identify dyadic interaction patterns. Pedagogically, it provides empirical evidence to support the use of CW in teaching L2 writing and provides suggestions for L2 instructors on how to facilitate their students’ participation in CW.