Chapter 9. Use of digital technologies for collaborative writing

Abstract

This chapter provides a brief overview of current technologies for collaborative writing. We begin by sharing the distinctive features of three commonly used platforms in computer-mediated collaborative writing (i.e., Google Docs, wikis, and Etherpad) which have been found to offer L2 learners a safe space to freely work (Ware & Warschauer, 2006) and promote co-authorship and collaboration (Li & Storch, 2017). Next, in line with the increasing implementation of digital multimodal writing tasks, we present another set of multimedia tools (i.e., Canva infographics and Plot storyboards) which allow L2 users to incorporate multimodal publishing and collaboration during L2 writing practices (Krauss, 2012; Maamuujav et. al., 2019). We conclude with pedagogical recommendations for instructors who intend to use any of these tools.