L2 Collaborative E-writing

Abstract Writing as a process has been recognized as an important tenant to integrate in L1 and L2 language courses. Research in this area has shown that collaboration in the form of peer-review exercises can improve writing outcomes. Even though research in this area has identified benefits for conducting peer reviews online, these studies have focused on the analysis of improvements in writing skills from the collaboration process without full consideration of the medium used in the process of collaboration and how the perceptions of students evolve. This mixed-methods longitudinal study was aimed at the examination of the change in perceptions of Spanish intermediate language learners in out-of-class writing tasks. The study considered the interactions of 201 students in peer review exercises using discussion forums and grading rubrics in Blackboard 9. Data was collected using a survey that contained 17 Likert-scale items and two open-ended questions. The survey was administered at the beginning, middle, and end of 16- week semesters for a year. Results of the study have pedagogical implications for the selection of the medium of interaction and the use of digital media in collaborative writing assignments for instructors as well as course and materials developers.