Disclosing the Effects of Online Collaborative Writing on Writing Skills and Self-Perception of Technology: A Study on Ethiopian EFL Learners

The integration of technology in second language education has made online collaborative writing (OCW) a valuable method for enhancing writing skills. Despite this, its effects on writing skills and technological self-perception in Ethiopia have not been thoroughly explored. This study aims to fill this gap by assessing the impact of OCW, through the use of Wiki and Telegram applications, on writing skills and technological self-perception within Ethiopia's English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting. Forty-five intermediate IELTS candidates from a language school in Utopia were randomly divided into three groups: the Wiki group (n = 15), the Telegram group (n = 15), and a control group (n = 15). They participated in pre-tests, interventions, post-tests, and completed a technology self-perception survey both before and after the intervention. The one-way ANOVA results showed that the Wiki and Telegram groups outperformed the control group in post-test writing skills. However, no significant difference was found between the Wiki and Telegram groups' post-test writing skills. Moreover, both groups reported a more positive view of technology following the intervention. These outcomes hold significant implications for EFL stakeholders in Ethiopia and pave the way for further research.