Developing a Collaborative Writing System with Visualization Interaction Network Analysis to Facilitate Online Learning Performance and Technology Acceptance

Recently, Computer-supported collaborative writing (CSCW) has gained attention in education for its potential to improve online collaborative learning. However, the lack of social presence can lead to low participation and free-riding behavior among learners. To address this issue, this study developed a collaborative writing system with visualization interaction network analysis (CWS-VINA). The system displays learners’ contributions and interaction relationships through one-mode social network analysis, helping team members build group awareness, facilitating collaborative writing participation, and reducing uneven participation. The ultimate goal is to promote learning performance in collaborative writing. With a quasi-experimental study, 50 Grade 8 students from a junior high school in Taipei City were recruited to participate in an instruction experiment on collaborative writing. The study aimed to compare the difference in learning performance and technology acceptance between two groups of learners; the experimental group of 26 students used CWS-VINA while the control group of 24 students used a collaborative writing system without visualization interaction network analysis (CWS-NVINA) to support collaborative writing. The results of the analysis indicated that learners using CWS-VINA outperformed those using CWS-NVINA in writing performance. Additionally, CWS-VINA was found to provide more benefits in promoting learners’ overall technology acceptance and perceived usefulness compared to CWS-NVINA. However, there was no statistically significant difference in promoting the perceived ease of use between the two groups. In this study, a novel CWS-VINA was developed by integrating CSCW, social network, and information visualization to provide an innovative and effective learning tool for technology-supported online collaborative writing and contribute significantly to the facilitation of CSCW.