Cooper Singman - Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan

Wiki use may help EFL instructors to create an effective learning environment for inquiry-based language teachingand learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wikis on the EFL learners’ IBL process. FortynineEFL students participated in the study while they conducted research projects in English. The Non-wiki group(n=25) received traditional inquiry instruction and the Wiki group (n=24) received wiki-mediated instruction duringtheir IBL process. Data were collected through surveys at the stages of pre-search, exploration, and completion of theIBL activity. The instruments sought to measure differences in knowledge accumulation, as well as the challengesstudents encountered during their inquiry process. The results revealed that the use of wikis can provide support to (a)help students go beyond information accumulation and regurgitation of facts and move toward generating moreintegrated and synthesized knowledge representations and (b) address the challenges of traditional IBL includingplanning the tasks, organizing multiple resources, managing the inquiry process, and coordinating the final product.According to the results of the survey, wikis can constitute a dynamic forum that keeps students engaged in stagingthe sequences of structured inquiry process and improve ability to perform inquiry-based tasks in an efficient manner.

EFL, inquiry-based learning, language learning, wiki