Computer-mediated collaborative writing has been increasingly implemented in L2 contexts due to wider awareness of affordances and benefits of Web 2.0 technologies. A systematic review of empirical studies over the recent decade is called forth in order to arouse broadened knowledge and provide new insights in this promising area. This study reviews 21 representative articles on computer-mediated collaborative writing published from 2008 to 2017 in top-tier peer-refereed journals. Holistic analysis of these articles has been conducted, including context and technology, theoretical/pedagogical framework, writing task, research focus, and data and instruments. Three main themes are synthesized: (a) interaction/writing process, (b) writing products/outcome, and (c) students’ perceptions, and specific research strands in relation to each theme are further discussed, supplemented with illustrative tables. Drawing on the analyses of these empirical studies, the researcher discusses pedagogical recommendations in terms of writing tasks, grouping, student training, and assessment, and addresses future research directions involving broader learning contexts, varied collaborative writing tasks, methodological innovation, and multiple research strands that deserve further examination.

Driven by the digital revolution in second language (L2) classrooms and broadened views on literacy, digital multimodal composing (DMC) has gained a robust growth of interests in the past decade. To illuminate the empirical landscape of this budding field, this paper provides a substantive and methodological review of 60 empirical L2 studies on DMC in tertiary settings from 2005 to 2020. Each study was coded for characteristics regarding research context, methodology, study setup features, analyses performed, and the methodological practices. Our findings suggest that with a combination of flourishing qualitative observational research and emerging interventionist studies, this domain features (a) great attention to DMC in language classes, (b) an underrepresentation of non-English classrooms, (c) a preference for video projects over visual projects, and (d)immense efforts in exploring the potential of DMC from learners’ perspectives. Also, using a broad range of data sources, this domain relies on analytic frameworks distinct from traditional monomodal L2 writing. Methodologically, we found a strength in the use of two validity strategies (i.e., a thick description and triangulation) and less-than-ideal practices in reporting reliability and learners’ proficiency level. We conclude the paper with a number of empirically grounded recommendations for future research efforts. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1942068.

Research on second language (L2) collaborative writing (CW) has proliferated over the recent decade and will continue to bloom due to the changing landscape of writing and learning in the digital age. This article provides a research agenda on CW in L2 classrooms. We illustrate six research themes for future research inquiry by pointing out the research gap, following a brief review of theoretical frameworks and existing empirical efforts on CW. We then expound on six specific research tasks that we deem to be pressing for this domain to progress, including more attention to multimodal CW, expanded frameworks for analyzing peer interaction and writing products, deployment of underused research techniques and improved research practice, development of CW assessment practice, as well as the inquiry of practitioners’ input on CW. We hope to provide guidance for future research endeavors by identifying avenues of investigations on CW and meanwhile contribute to the trajectory of vibrant research on L2 writing and language learning.

This paper discusses the increasingly prominent role of ChatGPT in providing feedback and assessment for L2 writing in the digital age. It reviews representative studies that address five research strands about the use of ChatGPT in L2 writing contexts. After a critical evaluation of the existing literature, the author extensively explains four innovative sub-topics on leveraging ChatGPT for L2 writing feedback and assessment, drawing on multiple creative projects undertaken by her research team. These include: 1) ChatGPT-student collaboration in the L2 writing process; 2) ChatGPT-supported teacher feedback; 3) collaborative processing of ChatGPT feedback; and 4) the potential of ChatGPT for L2 writing assessment. This paper also addresses the importance of teacher training on the use of GenAI in language and writing instruction.

Digital multimodal composing (DMC) has attracted language instructors’ and researchers’ increasing attention during recent years. Previous studies mainly investigated the students’ DMC processes and perceptions, but DMC products are underexamined, and in particular, scarce is research comparing collaborative DMC products and individual DMC products. This article reports an empirical study conducted with 185 EFL college students in an English for specific purposes (ESP) course in Vietnam, in which they completed two infographic tasks using Visme, one collaboratively and the other individually. The DMC products were graded according to a rubric assessing the aspects of content/organization, multimedia/visual effects, and language use; the accuracy of the students’ infographics was also evaluated. The results of variance (MANOVA) test showed no statistically significant difference in the overall qualities of infographics between the two work conditions (i.e. collaborative composing and individual composing) as to both tasks, but the between-participant effects showed that collaborative DMC products were advantageous in visual effects for Task 1 and in content/organization for Task 2. The findings of the Welch’s t -test revealed no statistically significant difference in the accuracy of students’ DMC products between collaborative work and individual work. This study fills the research gap by comparing the qualities of collaborative DMC products and individual DMC products, and meanwhile highlights the role of infographics in writing pedagogy. Implications of the study for research and pedagogy are also discussed.