Abstract

While the use of collaborative peer editing is widespread in some online learning contexts, little is known about how constituent editing behaviours impact student writing quality when using shared online documents as the mediating tool. Therefore, the present study (n = 176) examines the effects of English language learners’ peer editing behaviours (comments and track changes) within the Google Docs platform on their subsequent academic writing quality at both individual and group levels. To better understand peer editing, the current study further divided track changes into either adding words or deleting words. Given the data’s complexity, a two-level correlation analysis was used. The results showed that, at the individual level, words deleted by editors were positively associated with students’ individual writing quality in the Introduction section. Further, words added by editors in the Introduction section were negatively associated with student individual writing. At the level of the peer editing group, there was a positive statistically significant correlation between words added and student writing quality in the Introduction and Discussion sections. Interestingly, comments had little association with student writing at the individual or group level.

摘要

虽然协作同伴编辑的使用在一些在线学习环境中很普遍，但当使用共享在线文档作为中介工具时，组成编辑行为如何影响学生的写作质量却知之甚少。因此，本研究（n = 176）研究了英语学习者在 Google Docs 平台内的同行编辑行为（评论和跟踪更改）对其后续个人和团体层面学术写作质量的影响。为了更好地理解同行编辑，当前的研究进一步将轨迹更改分为添加单词或删除单词。考虑到数据的复杂性，使用了两级相关分析。结果表明，在个人层面，编辑删除的单词与学生个人在引言部分的写作质量呈正相关。此外，编辑在引言部分添加的文字与学生个人写作呈负相关。在同行编辑组的层面上，在引言和讨论部分添加的单词与学生的写作质量之间存在显着的正相关性。有趣的是，评论与学生个人或小组层面的写作几乎没有联系。