The Dimensions and Dynamism of Group Engagement in Computer-Mediated Collaborative Writing in EFL Classes

Student engagement as an important predictor of peer interaction and academic achievement has received considerable attention in second language classes. Despite its significance, how study groups engage in online writing activities in collaborative learning settings remains underexplored. To fill this gap, the present study explored how a group of four engaged in an 8-week computer-mediated collaborative writing (CMCW) project in a Chinese university English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Data were collected from multiple sources such as a pre-survey, audio-recorded discussions, and retrospective interviews. Findings identify three developmental periods of group engagement through task completion, namely breaking-in, growth, and proficiency periods. During each period, the four dimensions of group engagement (i.e., behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement) were ongoing and salient to varying extents and mutually influenced among the participants. Also, the learners utilized certain collaborative strategies to promote meaning negotiation and care for the quality of interactions. The study highlights the great potential of CMCW to form a sociocognitive learning community where the students can actively engage in learning, construct new knowledge, and promote language skills through not only cognitive processing but also mutual interaction between peers and instructors. Purpose: Student engagement has received fast-growing attention in second language education in recent decades. In this study, the researcher attempted to address the research gap that little attention was paid to group engagement in computer-mediated collaborative writing (CMCW) over time. Methods: This design-based case study took place at a Chinese public university in North China. Multiple data sources were used, including a survey, audio-recorded discussions, and interviews with the students. Conclusions: The study identifies three developmental periods of group engagement in CMCW, namely breaking-in, growth, and proficiency periods, in which the facets of group engagement were ongoing and salient to varying extents. Besides, CMCW showed great potential to form a learning community where the students can construct language knowledge and promote writing skills. Implications: Since group engagement may change across timescales, instructors had better design their teaching according to the features of different periods. Learners need to be encouraged to apply collaborative strategies appropriately for promoting group engagement in all respects. Limitations: Due to the small number of participants in the study, the findings may be hard to be used to explain the learners' group engagement in other contexts. Also, long-term academic outcome is impossibly observable due to the short duration of the study.