Abstract:

Although Collaborative Learning (CL) has been widely considered a valid method of teaching and learning for several decades, the last 10 years have witnessed a particular surge of growing interest in Collaborative Writing (CW) in many educational environments. This is probably due to both the increasing importance of writing in the workplace, the internet and, the development of Web 2.0 technologies including blogs, wikis and other collaborative software such as Google docs(Storch, 2019). Previous research focusing on CW tasks has demonstrated the many positive benefits for students in foreign and second language learning contexts including increased motivation, engagement and interaction among other learner-centred advantages.

Yet, little research has focussed on the role of the teacher in CW or what teachers should do, but what is the role of the teacher in collaborative writing? What can and should we do to enhance the learning experience and optimize the opportunities presented by such writing tasks? Drawing on the findings of a mixed methods case study, this paper considers three different teaching profiles, their engagement and interaction with the students participating in a wiki-based CW Project and student perceptions of the role of the teacher and their influence on language learning before, during and after completing the project for an English for Tourism course at the university level. It attempts to shed light and insight on what teachers may encounter, what they should consider and how they might truly contribute to fostering a culture of collaboration amongst students working in groups of 3 and 4.

Keywords:

Collaborative writing, Foreign and Second Language Learning, Wikis, Web 2.0, the Role of the Teacher.