A case study of the dynamics of scaffolding among ESL learners and online resources in collaborative learning

Abstract

Collaborative learning has been widely applied in education, and has been seen as conducive to student learning. The advent of technology and its applications in education have also greatly enhanced the classroom learning environment, leading to increasing research attention on the combination of technology and collaboration. The case study discussed in this article explores collaborating learners' patterns of interaction in an Internet-enhanced, face-to-face collaborative setting by investigating learners' interactions with peers and online resources. Four graduate-level ESL learners (three Taiwanese and one Japanese) worked in pairs to write an essay with the support of online resources. The construct of high quality collaboration was used to examine learners' interaction patterns. Three distinctive scaffolding patterns among learners and online resources were identified: (1) peer-to-peer scaffolding, (2) multi-directional scaffolding, and (3) individual scaffolding. The findings suggest that online resources can facilitate critical scaffolding in learners' interaction and knowledge construction, which also encourages collaborative learner autonomy. The proficiency gap between collaborating learners was also observed to be alleviated through the support of online resources for the less proficient peers. This study sheds light on the role online resources can play in collaborative language learning.

The Potentials of Three Writing Modalities in Development and Sustained Development of Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy of Writing Performance

“…With exuberant technology use in society along with constructivist learning orientations, learning and teaching practices have been changed dramatically (Admiraal et al, 2017). Collaborative learning has risen from constructivism and socio-culturalism and involves social interactions between participants and psycho-social processes underlying collaboration can bring together psycholinguistic, interactional, social and ecological aspects of language learning together (Hsieh, 2017). Besides, recent interest in how computers can mediate the process of language learning led to the development of new terminology of "computer supported collaborative learning" (Stahl, Koschmann, & Suthers, 2006) and "ecollaborative learning" (Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, Raunio, Raami, Muukkonen, & Hakkarainen, 2001).…”

Collective peer scaffolding, self-revision, and writing progress of novice EFL learners :

“…Hence, scaffolding in the L2 refers to those supportive behaviors employed by the more advanced partner in collaboration with the less competent learner that aim to foster L2 learner"s progress to a higher level of language proficiency. However, a number of researchers (Hsieh;2017;Li & Zhu, 2013;Memari Hanjani & Li, 2014a;Ohta, 1995Ohta, ,2000Shehadeh, 2011;Storch, 2002Storch, , 2005Swain, Brooks & Tocalli-Beller, 2002;Yong, 2010;Watanabe, 2008;Wigglesworth & Storch, 2009) have stressed that scaffolding is not just a unidirectional support from an expert to a novice, but can occur between novices with both learners acting as expert and supporting each other mutually and concurrently through dialogic interaction. Sociocultural theory also offers a theoretical framework for peer scaffolding and collaboration including collaborative writing, peer review, collaborative revision (Memari Hanjani, 2013;Memari Hanjani & Li, 2014a).…”

“…As DiPardo and Freedman (1988) put it, sociocultural theory provides "a close relationship between talk and writing and the importance of a research framework that leads to understanding how social interactions, in this case in the form of peer talk, can contribute to writing development" (p. 122). It is also well documented that scaffolding can occur in an L2 composition context among peers when working in pairs and groups (Anton & DiCamilla, 1998;Hsieh;2017;Shehadeh, 2011;Storch, 2002Storch, , 2005Yong, 2010).…”

“…It is also strongly supported by Vygotsky"s learning theory (Hansen & Liu, 2005;Memari Hanjani & Li, 2014a;Min, 2005Min, , 2006Yong, 2010). Drawn from this theoretical framework, several scholars maintain that writing and learning are social processes (DiPardo& Freedman, 1988;Hansen & Liu, 2005;Hyland, 2003;Yong, 2010) and through interaction, negotiation, and collaboration, peers can mutually scaffold each other to improve their writing skills (de Guerrero & Villamil, 1994Hsieh, 2017;Li & Zhu, 2013;Ohta, 1995Ohta, , 2000Shehadeh, 2011;Storch, 2002Storch, , 2005Yong, 2010).…”

Explorando perspectivas, negociando contextos mediados por computadoras e interactuando con tecnología en espacios de aprendizaje lingüística y culturalmente diversos

“…• Blogging enhances writing performance (Arslana & Şahin-Kızılb, 2010) • Computer-based collaborative activities encourage language use and development (Hsieh, 2017) • There is integration of content, language, and culture (Warschauer & Meskill, 2000) • Motivation of students to actively engage in second language learning is present (Billings & Mathison, 2012) • Linguistic gains and academic success takes place (Billings & Mathison, 2012) • Technology capitalizes authentic, practical and meaningful contexts, which are considered to be at the core of effective language learning (Ban, Jin, Summers, & Eisenhower, 2012).…”