This document outlines a project using a wiki platform to develop writing skills for general English intermediate students. The project aims to provide a learner-centered environment for developing writing. It fosters collaborative learning and digital competencies. Students complete writing tasks each week and give peer feedback. An evaluation rubric assesses students' understanding, portfolio content, reflective thinking, and organization. Research supports wikis for promoting reflective learning, knowledge building, and meaningful interaction in a community of learners. The schedule outlines weekly writing tasks and steps for a final collaborative project.

1. Universidad Central de Venezuela
Maestría en Inglés como Lengua Extranjera
ICT in ELT 2014
Diana C. Goncalves M.
The British Council Venezuela
Project
‘Write’
For General English Intermediate

2. THE PROJECT
 Kenneth Beare (N/A) - learning to write fluently in English is much more
challenging than learning to speak fluently for most learners:
o written communication is more formal = expectations are much higher.
o spoken communication allows for more 'mistakes‘ = less reflection goes into spoken
English than written English.
 In 1994, Leuf and Cunningham proposed Wiki-co-editing as a high-speed
platform in which students would be able to create and build web content.
 Richard Lanham - highlighted the importance of incorporating computer
technology into writing. Most students nowadays live in a world of electronic
text, spending most of their time reading and writing on computers (Mimi Li,
2012)
 Writing assignments have been the most common pedagogical application of
Wikis in education (Parker & Chao, 2007)

3.  Constructivism - Wikis promote reflective learning (Parker and Chao,
2007):
 They allow you to monitor your progress
 because of their collaborative nature they foster knowledge building ‘with and
for others’
 focused on the community rather than on individual learners.
 Collaborative/Cooperative paradigm - Students who work
collaboratively as a community ‘achieve higher levels of thought and
retain information longer than students who do their work individually’
(Parker & Chao, 2007)
 Achterman - the structure of Wikis provide meaningful interaction
among students, content and teachers; students feel part of a
community, learning how to work with others (Lin & Yang, 2011).
 ‘The integration of Wiki technology and peer feedback is an innovative
writing practice allowing for online construction of a piece as it
progresses through a cycle or writing, peer feedback and rewriting’
(Lin & Yang, 2011).
 Schaffert, Bischof et al. - collaborative creative writing - the Wiki as an
interactive writing book which allows students to write an essay or
story collaboratively (Parker & Chao, 2007).

4. OBJECTIVE
 This study is essentially descriptive, intending to describe the
experience of using a Wiki as a platform for activities and tasks
that aim to develop the students’ writing skills, as well as their
digital competences.
 I have these punctual objectives:
o Provide the students of general English courses with a learner-
centred environment to develop their writing skills.
o Foster collaborative learning, as well as the development of my
learners’ digital competences.
o Raise learners’ awareness of the importance of storing, keeping track
and revising their written work.
o Collect information about how practical the tool is for the students
and whether they consider that it can help them to improve their
writing skills.
o Gather the students’ opinion regarding collaborative writing,
teacher/peer feedback and teacher/peer assessment.

5. AUDIENCE
 The project is directed mainly to the participants (General English
Intermediate level students) and the teacher.
 Content will be open to external public after class number eight.
Steps
• The learners will have a series of tasks to complete every week.
• Every week, they will have to access the Wiki, read the page of the
correspondent week and follow the instructions for each task.
• Apart from completing the task, learners have to give peer
feedback to their peers’ writings and comments and encourage
more writing.
• The learners will work on an essay as their final project, strictly
following the steps recommended by the instructor.
• At the end of the course, the learners will complete a survey
regarding their experience using Wikis and all its implication (e.g.
collaborative writing, peer feedback)

6. SCHEDULE
WEEK TASKS
Week 1 Write a short biography of yourself (About us / personal e-portfolios)
Week 2 Write about a person you really admire (personal e-portfolios)
Discuss the meaning of the song ‘Working class hero’ performed by Green Day
(Week 2 discussion)
Week 3 1st step final project: start thinking of what to write about and share it (Final
Project Step by Step discussion)
Write a CV (personal e-portfolios)
Week 4 2nd step final project: structure information (mental map – team’s final project
page)
Write a cover letter (personal e-portfolios)
Week 5 3rd step final project: useful vocabulary and phrases/1st draft (team’s final project
page)
Write about your favourite band or musician (personal e-portfolios)
Comment on a radio show about why we listen to music (Week 5 discussion)
Week 6 4th step final projects: essays peer revision (personal e-portfolios)
Read about The Story Behind the Guy Fawkes Mask (Week 6 discussion)
Week 7 5th step final project: final revision of essays (teams’ final project page)
Write a short film review (personal e-portfolios)

7. EVALUATION
 The assessment would be formative rather than summative.
 ‘Focuses on judgments about the quality of students’ work, and
emphasizes the extent to which something has been done or is being
done’ (Babaee & Tikodaua, 2013),
 Process-based assessment - promotes the application of strategies
such as gathering information about the topics, drafting, revising and
editing.
 Rubric:
o The extent to which learners grasp the subject matter.
o Portfolio content
o Reflective thinking
o The content richness and difficulty.
o Organization and presentation.
Learners will be evaluated, not only based on their e-portfolios content,
but also taking into account their commitment and reflective process
shown through feedback given to their peers.

8. REFERENCES
 Babaee, B. & Tikoduadua, M. (2013) ‘E-Portfolio: A New Trend in Formative Writing
Assessment’. International Journal of Modern Education Forum (IJMEF), 2(2), pp. 49-56.
Retrieved July 2014 from http://www.ijmef.org/paperInfo.aspx?ID=3432
 Kenneth Beare (N/A) Why Is Writing More Difficult Than Speaking?, in About.com –
English as 2nd Language. [HTML Document] URL
http://esl.about.com/od/esleflteachingtechnique/a/difference_speaking_writing.htm
 Lee, L. (2010) ‘Exploring Wiki Mediated Collaborative Writing: A Case Study in an
Elementary Spanish Course’. CALICO Journal, 27(2), pp. 260-276. Retrieved July 2014
from http://journals.sfu.ca/CALICO/index.php/calico/article/view/854
 Li, M. (2012) ‘Use of Wikis in Second/Foreign Language Classes: A Literature Review’.
Computer-Assisted Language Learning - Electronic Journal (CALL-EJ), 13(1) pp. 17-35.
Retrieved July 2014 from http://callej.org/journal/13-1.html
 Lin, W & Yang, S.C. (2011) ‘Exploring Students’ Perceptions of Integrating Wiki
Technology and Peer Feedback into English Writing Courses’. English Teaching Practice
and Critique, 10(2), pp. 88-103. Retrived June 2014 from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ944900.pdf
 Parker, K & Chao, J. (2007) ‘Wiki as a Teaching Tool’. Interdisciplinary Journal of
Knowledge and Learning Objects, 3, pp. 58-72. Retrieved June 2014 from
www.editlib.org/p/44798/article_44798.pdf
 Scrivener, J. (2005) Learning Teaching, second edition. MacMillan Books for Teachers:
city.

9. THANKS
FOR
YOUR
ATTENTION

10. DIANA GONCALVES
My e-portfolio: http://dianagoncalvesm.wordpress.com/
My e-mail address: diana.goncalves.m@gmail.com
My skype ID: diana.goncalves.m88
My twitter ID: @dianagmendes