Evaluating the use of wikis for EFL: a case study of an undergraduate English writing course in China Online publication date: Sat, 10-May-2014
by Zhinong Sun; Xu Qiu
International Journal of Information Technology and Management (IJITM), Vol. 13, No. 1, 2014
Abstract: This study aims at examining the effectiveness of applying wikis in tertiary-level English as a foreign language (EFL) classes. The use of wikis in English for specific purposes (ESP) course - Business English Writing - by undergraduate students in a university in China was investigated through data analysis of test results as well as interviews. Performance results on Business English Certificates (BEC) preliminary (pre-test) and BEC vantage (post-test) revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in writing in the post-test. Interviews showed that students held a rather positive view towards the use of wikis in the ESP writing class and they favoured the tool mainly for its effect of enhancing their learning motivation and its function for collaborative learning. Still, a few students were not accustomed to this type of e-learning for varied reasons. Implications of the results are that wikis can benefit EFL learners by improving their writing skills in a collaborative environment.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Information Technology and Management (IJITM):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook