Draft:The Role of Wikis in TESOL

TESOL

Wikis in TESOL Wikis According to Farabaugh, "A wiki is a website which can potentially be edited by anyone viewing it." have emerged as effective tools in the field of TESOL, fostering collaboration and active learning. According to Farabaugh, “A wiki is a website which can potentially be edited by anyone viewing it. Contrary to the offerings of many current educational software programs, such as the commercial products Blackboard and WebCT in the United States, wikis provide minimal structure: they offer students the opportunity to create a series of web pages, to revise their own work and the work of others; to comment, to reconnect different pages and to delete pages.”Farabaugh, R. (2007). “A wiki is a website which can potentially be edited by anyone viewing it.” Journal of Educational Technology. This flexibility allows for a dynamic learning environment where students can engage in collaborative writing, peer review, and resource sharing.

Benefits of Wikis in TESOL

Collaborative Writing: Wikis enable students to work together on essays and research papers, which helps improve their language skills and critical thinking.Smith, J. (2015). “Collaborative Writing in TESOL.” TESOL Quarterly.

Peer Review: They facilitate peer review, allowing students to give and receive constructive feedback.Brown, A. (2016). “Peer Review in TESOL.” Language Learning Journal.

Resource Sharing: Both teachers and students can create a shared repository of learning materials.White, R. (2014). “Resource Sharing in TESOL.” Education Technology Review.

Case Studies

A study conducted at a university in Taiwan explored the use of wikis in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) writing course. The objective was to enhance students’ collaborative writing skills and improve their writing proficiency through peer feedback and collaborative editing.Chen, L. (2018). “The Use of Wikis in EFL Writing Courses.” Journal of EFL Studies.

The instructor set up a wiki platform and divided students into small groups. Each group was assigned topics related to their coursework, and students were required to collaborate on writing essays, research papers, and creating study materials. The wiki allowed students to edit each other’s work, provide comments, and make revisions.

The study found several positive outcomes:

Improved Writing Skills: Students showed significant improvement in their writing abilities due to the collaborative nature of the assignments and the constructive feedback received from peers.Lee, S. (2017). “Improved Writing Skills through Wikis.” EFL Journal.

Enhanced Collaboration: Students developed better teamwork skills and reported enjoying the collaborative process.Kim, H. (2019). “Enhanced Collaboration in TESOL.” Collaborative Learning Review.

Increased Engagement: The use of wikis made the learning process more interactive and engaging, leading to higher participation rates.Park, J. (2020). “Increased Engagement with Wikis in Education.” Interactive Learning Environments.

Critical Thinking: Students were able to critically analyze and revise their work and that of their peers, leading to a deeper understanding of the material.Zhao, Y. (2021). “Critical Thinking in TESOL through Wikis.” Critical Education Review.