Towards an Inquiry-Based Language Learning: Can a Wiki Help?

Abstract

Wiki use may help EFL instructors to create an effective learning environment for inquiry-based language teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wikis on the EFL learners’ IBL process. Forty-nine EFL 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 during their IBL process. Data were collected through surveys at the stages of research, exploration, and completion of the IBL activity. The instruments sought to measure differences in knowledge accumulation, as well as the challenges students 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 more integrated and synthesized knowledge representations and (b) address the challenges of traditional IBL including planning 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 staging the sequences of structured inquiry process and improve ability to perform inquiry-based tasks in an efficient manner.