Structured Instructional Design for Integrated Language Skill Development: College Students' Perspectives on Collaborative Reading-to-Write Activities Using a Cloud-Based Tool

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Structured Instructional Design for Integrated Language Skill Development: College Students' Perspectives on Collaborative Reading-to-Write Activities Using a Cloud-Based Tool
Language: English
Authors: Jia Li (ORCID 0000-0003-1045-9571), Lillian Mak (ORCID 0000-0002-3520-2361), Bill Hunter, Todd Cunningham
Source: Language Teaching Research. 2026 30(1):115-150.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 36
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: Instructional Design, Student Attitudes, Intervention, Reading Instruction, Writing Instruction, Writing Skills, Expository Writing, Community Colleges, Urban Schools, Foreign Countries, Teaching Methods, Technology Uses in Education, Affordances, Academic Language, English Instruction, Community College Students, Integrated Curriculum, Collaborative Writing
Geographic Terms: Canada
DOI: 10.1177/13621688221142297
ISSN: 1362-1688
1477-0954
Abstract: Many students begin post-secondary studies with inadequate reading comprehension and expository writing skills. Strong skills in these areas are necessary for interpreting source material, integrating multiple ideas, and formulating clear and coherent arguments to complete integrated reading and writing tasks typical of most post-secondary assignments. This article reports on college students' perspectives on an intervention study exploring how integrated reading and writing instruction can be combined with collaborative writing using a cloud-based tool to develop students' expository writing skills. A 10-week intervention was designed to introduce 70 students to discrete expository writing skills such as paraphrasing, summarizing, and synthesizing source material. The intervention aimed to enhance students' awareness of the connection between the individual skills and the final product: expository essays. This study was conducted at a large urban community college in Ontario, Canada, with culturally diverse first-year students across disciplines. Individual interviews were conducted with 14 students. Results of thematic and content analyses showed that participants were largely positive about their online collaborative writing experiences with their peers, and many found that the instructional design supported their learning through knowledge construction, social support, and easily accessible information.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1494109
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Many students begin post-secondary studies with inadequate reading comprehension and expository writing skills. Strong skills in these areas are necessary for interpreting source material, integrating multiple ideas, and formulating clear and coherent arguments to complete integrated reading and writing tasks typical of most post-secondary assignments. This article reports on college students' perspectives on an intervention study exploring how integrated reading and writing instruction can be combined with collaborative writing using a cloud-based tool to develop students' expository writing skills. A 10-week intervention was designed to introduce 70 students to discrete expository writing skills such as paraphrasing, summarizing, and synthesizing source material. The intervention aimed to enhance students' awareness of the connection between the individual skills and the final product: expository essays. This study was conducted at a large urban community college in Ontario, Canada, with culturally diverse first-year students across disciplines. Individual interviews were conducted with 14 students. Results of thematic and content analyses showed that participants were largely positive about their online collaborative writing experiences with their peers, and many found that the instructional design supported their learning through knowledge construction, social support, and easily accessible information.
ISSN:1362-1688
1477-0954
DOI:10.1177/13621688221142297