The use of Web 2.0 tools in second language writing

Abstract

Literacy practices in modern society have changed over the last decade. With the development of web technologies and social media, Web 2.0 tools such as wikis, blogs and Facebook have expanded teaching possibilities in instruction of writing in second language. However, using these tools in education can be challenging since this learning process requires learners to be able to collaborate both face-to-face and online using skills such as negotiation, interaction, engagement, scaffolding, among others to successfully build a learning community. This multi-method study investigates student engagement through communities of practice (Wenger, 1998) within the context of L2 writing, expanding on the notion of new literacies (Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear, & Leu, 2008). The original contribution to knowledge is in the field of research in online collaboration for L2 writing and hopes to contribute to the field of 2.0 pedagogies.The case study includes twenty-one university students in northern Mexico enrolled in a second language blended writing class. The data collection instruments included an online survey, social media group contributions, wiki-based samples of written texts, focus groups, and learning journals. Triangulation of the data collected showed that the majority of participants demonstrated effective integration of Web 2.0 tools in the planning and revising stages, whereas few participants struggled to negotiate and engage in the text development phase. As a result of collaboration, participants were able to produce better texts along the practice. Student engagement was measured through interactions, participation and contributions throughout the digital tools.

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ORCID for Laura Lewis: orcid.org/0000-0003-2782-7254

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