MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCAFFOLDING IN DYADIC INTERACTION IN ENGLISH WRITING WITH COMPUTER : A CASE STUDY OF CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to study scaffolding patterns used in dyadic interaction during collaborative paragraph writing with the computer; to examine learners’ use of writing strategies while writing a multi-draft opinion paragraph in pair on the computer; and to explore learners’ attitudes toward collaborative multiple-draft opinion paragraph writing. Participants were six Thai first year undergraduates of the Faculty of Political Science year 2011. They were purposively sampled and assigned to select their own pair to work collaboratively on a multi-draft opinion paragraph writing task, using Microsoft Word as a writing platform. These six participants formed three dyads, whose pseudonyms were assigned for confidentiality. Research instruments included (1) the observation via TeamViewer (2) the audio recording as well as its transcripts (3) video recording (4) semi-structured interview and (5) questionnaire. Data were collected in a study room where a dyad of participants worked on opinion paragraph writing. Writing process in the current study included four stages: planning, drafting, peer-reviewing and revising. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis of participants’ interaction, writing process and attitudes towards collaborative writing. Recorded sessions of the participants’ interaction were transcribed, translated into English and coded into themes of emerging scaffolding patterns. Observation field notes via TeamViewer program were used to code collaborative writing strategies used during the task completion. Finally, interview transcripts were used to analyze attitudes toward collaborative writing. Findings from the content analysis of qualitative data in this study seem to provide evidence for some patterns of learners’ asking for and getting assistance while performing a multi-draft opinion writing task in pair. In addition to their peers, learners were found to use a lot of their own opinions and prior knowledge and experience to help them generate more ideas for writing. The other less frequently emerged patterns were other-regulated scaffolding from adults, object-regulated scaffolding from learners’ prior discussion, the Internet, facilitative tools on computer, paper dictionary, class notes or handouts and brainstormed notes. Self-regulation pattern seemed to emerge less frequently. In addition, writing strategies that seemed to be employed most often were social/affective strategies (getting support or feedback from peer and resourcing); cognitive strategies (generating ideas and revising); metacognitive strategies (evaluating and planning); communicative strategies (sense of reader) and rhetorical strategies (organization). Finally, learners had a positive outlook toward collaborative writing. They mentioned gaining more knowledge as well as language skills, self-confidence and more opportunities for learning. Nonetheless, they viewed that the process can require a great deal of time and energy.