Exploring virtual collaborative

writing in the EFL classroom

Antonio Martínez-Sáez1, Avelino Corral-Esteban2,

and Margarita Vinagre-Laranjeira3

Abstract. With the integration of new technologies in the foreign language classroom,
the practice of collaborative writing has gained renewed attention, although some
questions still remain unanswered regarding the extent to which these tools help
learners in their writing when compared to more traditional learning contexts (Elola
& Oskoz, 2010). In order to explore these issues, we analysed the written production
of 84 undergraduate students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) using the
LIWC20154 software. The analysis revealed significant differences in categories
such as word count, clout, emotional tone, or analytical thinking when comparing
the texts written by an experimental and a control group. Moreover, regarding
discourse, some differences were observed in terms of the way information was
presented and structured.

Keywords: language learning, collaborative writing, virtual collaboration, discourse

analysis.

1. Introduction

The effects of collaborative writing – “the co-authoring of a text by two or more

writers” (Storch, 2013, p. 2) – has become the focus of much research in recent
years. Some studies suggest “that collaborative writing promotes reflective thinking,

1. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; [Link]@[Link]

2. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; [Link]@[Link]
3. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; [Link]@[Link]
4. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. Software published by Pennebaker Conglomerates, Inc, Austin, TX, USA. For more
information go to [Link]

How to cite this article: Martínez-Sáez, A., Corral-Esteban, A., & Vinagre-Laranjeira, M. (2018). Exploring virtual
collaborative writing in the EFL classroom. In P. Taalas, J. Jalkanen, L. Bradley & S. Thouësny (Eds), Future-proof CALL:
language learning as exploration and encounters – short papers from EUROCALL 2018 (pp. 188-192). [Link].
[Link]

188 © 2018 Antonio Martínez-Sáez, Avelino Corral-Esteban, and Margarita Vinagre-Laranjeira (CC BY)
 Exploring virtual collaborative writing in the EFL classroom

focusses attention on grammatical accuracy, lexis, and discourse, and encourages

a pooling of knowledge about language” (Donato, 1994; Storch, 2013, cited in
Oskoz & Elola, 2011, p. 209). In order for collaborative writing to be successful,
some authors have mentioned that students have to become truly involved and
engaged in the activity (e.g. Oskoz & Elola, 2011).

However, there are still some unanswered questions regarding the differences
between the process of collaborative writing in more traditional contexts and in
those in which technology has been integrated in the classroom. We are referring
more specifically to telecollaborative environments, which are gaining renewed
attention and becoming more relevant among researchers who study their effects
on collaborative writing (Elola & Oskoz, 2010). In this study, we have used the
term telecollaboration to refer to an activity in which students, who are in face-
to-face environments, use technologies to collaborate (Vinagre, 2016). In its more
strict sense, this activity refers to students who are located in different countries
and use technologies to carry out tasks or project work together.

Given its potential, in this study we analyse the collaboratively written production
of a group of students who worked in this environment (experimental group) and
that of another group who wrote collaboratively in class (control group).

2. Complexity, accuracy, fluency,

and discourse analysis

Complexity, accuracy, and fluency “represent three dimensions of L2 production”

and are “of value to L2 language teachers as they can use the research findings to
improve their practice and their students’ language performance” (Craven, 2017,
p. 25). In general terms and in line with Craven’s (2017) definitions, complexity
is seen as “the use of more challenging and difficult language”; accuracy as “the
degree of conformity to certain language usage norms”, primarily in lexicon and
grammar; and fluency as “a person’s general language proficiency in relation to
ease and smoothness of speech or writing” (p. 25).

In order to compare the written production of both groups, we decided to use

LIWC2015 software since some of the variables it measures (see below) are
based on the complexity and fluency factors mentioned above. Besides, the
software also analyses other relevant features for this study – including cohesive
devices such as reference, repetition, substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, and
connectors (Schiffrin, 2001).

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Antonio Martínez-Sáez, Avelino Corral-Esteban, and Margarita Vinagre-Laranjeira

3. Method

Eighty-four first year students of English at Autónoma University of Madrid

participated in this study. Their levels of proficiency in the foreign language
ranged from a B1 to a C1 (all according to the Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages).

Students were divided randomly into two groups. Students in the experimental
group used Google Docs as a technological tool to write a joint collaborative essay
based on a list of suggested topics working in small groups. Similarly, students
in the control group used pen and paper to carry out the same task also working
in small groups. Eleven texts in total were produced by the experimental and the
control group respectively.

The texts were then introduced in LIWC2015. This tool processes text files and
displays categories such as word count, analytical thinking, clout, authentic,
emotional tone, words per sentence, words including more than six letters, the
total number of function words, etc. Furthermore, as explained on this software’s
website, “the text analysis module […] compares each word in the text against a
user-defined dictionary”5. Most of its output variables are expressed as percentage
of total words, with the exception of Word Count (WC; raw word count), mean
Words Per Sentence (WPS), and four summary variables: analytic, clout, authentic,
and tone. These summary variables are “standardised composites which have been
converted to percentiles based on large corpora of texts described in the LIWC2015
Language Manual” (Pennebaker, Booth, Boyd, & Francis, 2015, pp. 6-7).

4. Results and discussion

The results show that there were some significant differences between the texts
produced by both groups in some of the categories analysed by LIWC2015. For
instance, the total number of words written by the students in the experimental
group was 2,452, whereas the control group wrote only 1,451. The group working
in the virtual environment also obtained higher results in the following categories
(definitions available from Pennebaker et al., 2015, p. 22): clout, which reflects “a
higher level of expertise and confidence” (experimental group: 93.21 / control group:
80.73); tone, which is “associated with a more positive and upbeat style” (experimental:
77.55 / control: 12.87); and function words (experimental: 52.98 / control: 50.03).

5. [Link]

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 Exploring virtual collaborative writing in the EFL classroom

In contrast, as illustrated in Table 1, the control group achieved higher results

in other categories such as analytical thinking, i.e. “more formal, logical, and
hierarchical thinking”, and authentic, associated with “a more honest, personal,
and disclosing text” (Pennebaker et al., 2015, p. 22).

Table 1. Results of the analysis of the rest of variables

Analytic Authentic Words/sentence Words > 6 letters
Control group 83.33 13.33 17.91 21.23
Experimental group 45.89 5.99 13.78 18.11

These results suggest that students in the experimental group tended to be more
productive, showed a higher level of expertise, and felt more confident and
positive. However, students in the control group preferred to adopt a more formal
and personal approach to the task. Besides, they wrote longer and more complex
words. A plausible explanation for these findings could be that students in the
control group tended to focus more on the task itself, on what and how they wrote
it, and at the same time they reflected more on the format and wording of their final
joint essay. The experimental group, on the other hand, seemed to focus more on
the collaborative interaction than on the task, as can be deduced from their levels
of confidence and positivity (Vinagre & Corral, 2017).

As regards discourse analysis tokens, some differences were observed in terms of

the way information was presented and structured. As already mentioned, students
in the control group tended to focus mostly on formal aspects, such as a more
frequent and accurate use of cohesive devices and adequate paragraph separation,
whereas those in the experimental group focussed more on content and included
a higher number of new relevant ideas related to the topic of their essays. In this
respect, it is possible that by giving priority to the collaborative interaction over the
task, the students in the experimental group feel freer to explore and discuss other
relevant ideas that can enrich their task.

5. Conclusions

The findings suggest that the students in the control group were more focussed
on the variables based on complexity, which highlights the idea that they might
adopt a more reflective and even cautious attitude in face-to-face interaction when
having to reach agreements on the words and structure of their essays. Other
factors explaining these results could be related to the importance of reinforcing
and constructing a more positive and desirable personal identity. In contrast,

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Antonio Martínez-Sáez, Avelino Corral-Esteban, and Margarita Vinagre-Laranjeira

students using the technological tool to write their joint essay achieved better
results in the variables based on fluency. Moreover, these findings suggest that in
a telecollaborative environment, students feel freer to explore, discuss, and add
more ideas and thus write longer texts since they might also tend to adopt a less
inhibited attitude.

6. Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness
(EDU2014-54673R).

References

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Future-proof CALL: language learning as exploration and encounters – short papers from EUROCALL 2018
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