Improving Writing Through Collaborative Learning and Google Docs

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to establish if collaborative learning impacted on the ability to write short texts in English, in Google Docs. The students were enrolled in the careers offered by a public institute in Santo Domingo city, Ecuador. The group of students that participated in the study consisted of 56 students. Data obtained from a pre and posttest, and interviews were used to answer the research questions. At the end of the pedagogical implementation, there was a statistically significant difference in the posttest results in the same group, therefore, the collaborative learning to write short texts in Google Docs word processor had a positive impact on writing ability because the scores in the pretest were 4 while in the posttest were 7.73. In addition, the participants showed a positive and motivating general perception regarding the future use of collaborative learning to improve the writing ability. The pedagogical strategy of collaborative learning is suggested to the English Foreign Language Teachers (EFL) to include in the syllabus of the English courses, to contribute to the achievement of the learning objectives of the subject.