The William and Mary Collaborative Writing Project
A guide to integrating collaborative writing into college teaching
A collaborative effort by Faculty and Academic Technology at
The College of William and Mary
Contributors
Evan Cordulack is a Ph. D. Candidate in the American Studies Program at the College of William and Mary. He also works for Academic Information Services at the College as a Web Applications Specialist.
Bella Ginzbursky-Blum is a Lecturer of Russian Language & Culture and has been teaching at the College since 1992. In addition to teaching a variety of Russian courses in the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures and pursuing research interests in Russian animation, she has served for many years as an Academic Advisor in the Russian and Post-Soviet Studies program, as well as the Faculty Advisor of the Russian House and the W&M chapter of DobroSlovo (the National Slavic Honor Society) which she helped establish in 1994. The sample “before and after” collaborative assignment she contributed to this publication comes from her Spring 2009 RUSN 309: Tale of Tales –The Development of Russian Animationcourse.
Pamela L. Eddy is an Associate Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education. She teaches in the School of Education in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership. Eddy teaches courses in policy, higher education finance, organization and governance, community colleges, and women in education. Community colleges provide the context for much of Eddy’s research. She investigates leadership in two-year colleges, looking in particular at the role of leadership transitions and career pathways, issues facing rural leaders, gendered approaches, and mid-level leadership. Another aspect of her research concerns partnerships and collaborations among colleges, universities, and community stakeholders—both in the US and in Ireland. Finally, Eddy does research on faculty work and faculty development. She is interested in understanding how faculty work has evolved, teaching, and learning issues.
Stan Hoegerman is a geneticist and an adjunct in the Biology Department. He retired from the full time faculty in 2006 and teaches a writing intensive Freshman Seminar on “Ethical Issues in Human Genetics and Reproduction.”
Mark Hofer is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology in the School of Education. He has been teaching a range of undergraduate, Masters, and Doctoral courses focusing on integrating technology in teaching at the College since 2005. His undergraduate and Master’s students work collaboratively to publish educational materials centering on educational uses of technology for practicing K-12 classroom teachers. His doctoral students in the Curriculum Leadership and Curriculum and Educational Technology programs develop collaboratively written instructional plans and professional development materials. All of Mark’s course Web sites are built in a wiki environment. He encourages his students to edit and add to the course pages as they move through the course. He hopes to devise a strategy to empower his students to collaboratively develop a course textbook for his doctoral course, CRIN 602: Curriculum-Based Technology Integration, K-12.
April Lawrence is a doctoral student in the Curriculum and Educational Technology program in the School of Education at the College of William and Mary. She also works as an Academic Technology Specialist for the College.
Richard Lowry is an Associate Professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences. Has worked in American literature, the history of childhood and family life, cultural studies, masculinity, slavery, and the history of photography.Specialized interests in the forms of public intimacy in American life and the place of poverty in the formation of twentieth century American nationhood. He is the author of Littery Man: Mark Twain and Modern Authorship (1996).
John Noell Moore is Professor of Education/Secondary English at the College of William and Mary, where he teaches courses in English Methods, Planning Instruction in English, Literature for Adults, and Current Issues in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. He is the author of Interpreting Young Adult Literature: Literary Theory in the Secondary Classroom (1997), and John Marsden: Darkness, Shadow, and Light (2010) as well as numerous articles on English studies and English teaching. His research focuses on ways of interpreting young adult literature from multiple theoretical perspectives; most recently he has begun working on the postmodern young adult novel and the challenges of teaching postmodern texts. He also supervises student teaching internships and conducts the internship seminar.
Maria Elena Padais the Coordinator of the Academic Information Services. As the coordinator of AIS,she is dedicated to continue to support the effective integration of technology into all aspects of teaching and learning at the College of William & Mary. As a member of AIS, she is expected to be part of a team that encourages faculty to create better learning environments and hopefully, improve educational outcomes. To accomplish these goals she participates alongside the other members of AIS in promoting and helping with the exploration, implementation, and evaluation of existing and emerging technologies.
Gene Roche is director of Academic Information Services and Executive Professor in the School of Education at William and Mary. He is responsible for working with the academic technologists, engineers and the lab-classroom team to help enhance teaching and learning at the College. The AIS group provides discipline-specific support for instruction and research in the social sciences, humanities, physical and life sciences, School of Education, and the School of Law. Members of the AIS staff also manage a portfolio of institutional and individual projects to leverage technology in improving instruction and research.
Betsy Schroeder is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the History Department and American Studies Program. She teachesdiverse students in Freshmen Writing Seminars, lecture courses in African American and US History, as well as undergraduate and graduate special topics seminars in American Studies. One of her pedagogical interests include teaching writing across the collegiate experience and looking at graduate level writing as a culmination of the collaborative writing process. Her research interests include aesthetics, literature, urban issues, geography, and African American Studies.
Tammy Thrift is the Senior Academic Technologist for the School of Education, a new role that seems almost tailor-made. Her approach is to promote technology as an innovative tool to broaden learning potential -- with instructional objectives as the driving force for technology integration.
Sharon Zuber teaches in the English Department and the Film Studies Program at the College of William and Mary. As director of the Writing Resources Center, she trains students for peer tutoring and works with faculty on integrating writing into their courses. Her research interests focus on nonfiction writing and documentary filmmaking, both of which she believes highlight the importance of process and collaboration. One of her favorite activities is talking about teaching writing.
Table of Contents
The Case for Collaborative Writing: Introduction and Overview7
Faculty Roles in Collaborative Writing11
Student Roles in Collaborative Writing11
Assumptions12
Module 1: Planning, Facilitating, and Assessing Collaborative Writing14
Planning Collaborative Writing14
Facilitating Collaborative Writing17
Assessing Collaborative Writing20
Looking Forward24
Module 2: Single Author Peer Review for Editing and Reflection33
Overview33
Benefits33
Application35
Considerations39
Evaluation Options39
Resources for Peer Review40
Module 3: Using Google Documents to Support Collaboration50
Overview50
Benefits50
Application53
Considerations56
Evaluation Options57
Resources for Google Documents60
Module4: Using Wikis to Support Collaboration and Community68
Overview68
Benefits68
Application70
Considerations72
Evaluation Options74
Resources for Wikis74
Module 5: Using Blackboard to Support Group Work81
Overview81
Benefits80
Application82
Considerations86
Evaluation Options87
Resources for Blackboard88
Conclusion97
Looking Ahead97
Reflecting on Collaboration97
Challenges100
Shifting Paradigms101
References104
Appendix: W&M Wikis Tutorial105
List of Figures
1.0 The Case for Collaborative Writing10
1.1 Conceptual Map of Course Mapping17
2.1 Sample of Word Comment Function37
2.2 Sample of Word Track Changes Function38
2.3 Sample of Google Document39
3.1 Screen Shot of Editing Features in Google Docs55
3.2 Screen Shot to Set Up a Google Document55
3.3 Screen Shot of Sharing Feature55
3.4Sample of Peer Evaluation of Individual Member Contributions58
3.5 Sample of Point Distribution Evaluation59
4.1 WM Wikis Homepage71
5.1 Blackboard Collaboration Tools80
5.2 Creating Groups in Blackboard84
6.1 Concept Map of the Collaborative Process for this Project99
List of Inserts
1.1 Collaborative Writing Planning Template25
1.2 Learning Facilitator Checklist27
1.3a Sample Collaborative Writing Template Constructed in iRubric28
1.3b Blank Rubric Template29
1.3c Sample Peer Evaluation Rubric30
1.4 Web Based Collaborative Writing Resource31
1.5 Collaborative Writing Gateway Checklist32
2.1a Sample Assignment42
2.1b Sample Assignment Peer Reviewer Form44
2.1c Sample Questions for Peer Review45
2.2a Sample Rubric- Emphasis on Collaborative Process47
2.2b Sample Rubric-Emphasis on Writing Process48
2.2c Author Debriefing Reflection49
3.1 Sample Assignment61
3.2a Sample Rubric- Emphasis on Collaborative Process64
3.2b Sample Rubric- Emphasis on Writing Product65
3.2c Sample Peer Evaluation Form66
3.2d Sample Peer Point Distribution Evaluation Form67
4.1 Sample Rubric and Assignment76
4.2 Sample Rubric and Assignment77
5.1 Sample Rubric and Assignment8990
5.2 Sample Rubric and Assignment9091
The Case for Collaborative Writing: Introduction and Overview
The information presented in this document emerged from a faculty development seminar at the College of William and Mary that was sponsored by the Charles Center, the college’s faculty development center. A total of 10 faculty and staff were involved, representing seven disciplines across campus, including American Studies, Biology, Education, English and Film Studies, History, and Russian Language and Culture. Subsequent to this seminar, an additional faculty member and professional staff became involved in the project. All participants had an interest in examining efforts to infuse collaborative writing in courses at the college. However, our conversations were not always without a level of frustration as we found that some of us had some previous unsuccessful attempts at incorporating collaborative writing into our teaching. A clear benefit from the seminar experience was that we had a platform for sharing our successes and challenges and quickly discovered that we were not alone in our quest for effective and practical strategies to put theory regarding collaborative writing into practice. We have attempted to model the collaborative writing process by writing this document together as a group. The goal was that the final product could serve as a guide for instructors at William and Mary, but would also be relevant for faculty at other colleges and universities in attempts to implement collaborative writing strategies.
In coming together as a group, we learned that we shared certain beliefs about teaching and learning. Namely, we tend to embrace the constructivist perspective of teaching and learning. We see the process of learning occurring as an act of knowledge construction for the student, which implies a more student centered classroom than an instructor centered one. In order for students to actively construct their own knowledge (and actively learn), they should have classroom experiences that enable them to consider and reflect upon their assumptions, evaluate and synthesize new information, and critically reconcile this new information with their previously held beliefs and assumptions. Collaborative learning environments in which students are encouraged to inquire, discuss, explore, and evaluate with their peers can foster this process of active knowledge construction. We see collaborative writing as one of the essential tools for supporting a collaborative learning environment.
One motivation for focusing on collaborative writing came from College alumni who have reported the need for more experience in working in groups as part of students’ academic development prior to entering the workforce. Working collaboratively provides not only valuable interpersonal and teambuilding skills, it can also deepen the learning experiences for students (Wolfe 2010). Research in Cognitive Load Theory suggests that collaborative learning environments may be an ideal model for constructing, reorganizing, and acquiring new information (Janssen et al. 2010).Currently, the general term used for collaborative learning is group work or group learning (Nilson, 2010). According to Nilson,
the research on the effects of group learning has focused on three fundamental dimensions—achievement/productivity (learning), positive interpersonal relationships, and psychological health—and group work yields positive results on all of them (Johnson et al., 1991; Johnson & Johnson, 1989, 1994; Millis & Cottell, 1998 as cited in Nilson, p. 156).
Research in the classroom documents the benefits of group learning in different course levels and for different student experience levels. Yet, there are still benefits to individual work and other forms of teaching strategies that should complement course level group work. The shift to group work means that students must assume more responsibility as a result of group expectations and responsibilities and that faculty must structure the experience to obtain the best results.
In many ways, students and faculty are already engaged in collaborative writing both in coursework and in research. This collaboration takes many forms, for example: student revision and peer editing, developing a media project, or creating a class wiki. We focus here on peer collaborative writing because we want to promote learning environments that both facilitate student learning and that prepare our students for success in the 21st century working world. Our goal is to make the process explicit for faculty so that they can potentially pull a module from this document in order to begin incorporating student collaborative writing into their own teaching.
Our focus on collaborative writing reflects the historical shift from the primacy of a single author to the emergent collaborative nature of writing (Wolfe, 2010). Writing in the 21st century work place takes many forms: document sharing, content building, or multimedia production, to name a few. The modern digital working world enables writers to bridge physical gaps and collaborate not only with peers in the office, but also with colleagues around the globe. In academia as well, scholars are expected to collaborate with their colleagues in research and publication, for example, in peer reviewed journals (Creamer, 2004; Gappa, Austin, & Trice, 2007). If we intend to prepare our students for access into academia and the 21st century work place, we should consider integrating opportunities for collaborative writing within our classrooms.
In addition to equipping our students for their academic and professional pursuits, well facilitated collaboration can potentially increase the learning experience within our classrooms. Cooper, Robinson, and McKinney (1993) conducted a literature review on cooperative learning in the classroom and found that “group learning is more effective than traditional methods in improving critical thinking, self-esteem, racial and ethnic relations, and positive social behavior” (as cited in Nilson, 2010, p. 156). Interaction among students builds relationships and provides a platform for sharing knowledge. As a form of group work, collaborative writing encourages students to actively engage, debate, critique, and reflect on the relevant content for a writing project. Collaborative writing also forces students to make decisions about what to include and what to exclude and what to merge. Figure 1.0 illustrates the process of collaborative writing. Thinking of writing as a process rather than simply a summative assessment helps in considering how the act of collaborative writing might engage students in knowledge building within our content areas. Finally, collaborative writing also allows for the process of group work and teambuilding in our classrooms. Students must consider differing perspectives and pool their talents and resources in order to achieve a common goal (Wolfe, 2010). Our students will be dealing with large and complex problems in their professional and academic pursuits and such large and complex problems land at the feet of the team rather than the individual.
Figure 1.0: The Case for Collaborative Writing
Ever-evolving collaborative technology tools have opened up many new opportunities for instructors to engage students in the writing process both inside and outside the classroom. Web 2.0 technologies often serve as a support for collaborative writing in both the classroom and the workplace. The emergence of learning management systems (Blackboard, Moodle, etc.), the free availability of wikis, and the ability to coauthor and edit in real time regardless of geography are just a few of the ways that technology can support collaborative writing in our classrooms.
However, collaborative writing also presents challenges to students and teachers who are more familiar and comfortable with the single-author approach. Some of the challenges of collaborative writing by students for classroom assignments are the evaluation of individual contributions, the time required to present the concept of this strategy, and the ways different disciplines reward collaborative writing versus single author writing (Nilson, 2010; Wolfe 2010). The intention of this document is to demystify the process of collaborative writing and provide readers with practical examples, strategies, and processes that enable them to implement collaborative writing into their classroom teaching. As a starting point, the information presented here may help build faculty confidence to explore the benefits of collaboration both in the classroom and in their own research. The subsequent modules include practical information on planning, facilitating, and assessing collaborative writing. There are four modules centered around specific gateways for collaborative writing, single author peer review, Google documents, wikis, and Blackboard, so that instructors might use all or some of the modules as a practical starting point for integrating collaborative writing into their teaching and coursework. We envision this as a process that will evolve and improve through reflective use with students in classrooms.
Faculty Roles in Collaborative Writing
Prior to utilizing collaborative writing with students, faculty must consider the pedagogy involved in managing this type of assignment and must reflect upon their own assumptions about teaching and learning. The following questions provide a starting point for faculty contemplating using student collaborative writing projects.
- Acknowledging assumptions on knowledge building and ownership: Who owns the knowledge? What is the best way to build the knowledge?
- Reflecting upon teaching orientation: What kind of teacher am I? A content deliverer, a mentor, a learning architect (interested in cognition), a nurturer, or a champion of social justice? (See Pratt, 2002)
- Considering course and program objectives: Does collaborative writing support my learning goals?
- Evaluating the impact on teaching: How will collaborative writing impact my teaching? What are the ramifications for managing new types of grading? Can I find support for exploring collaborative writing?
- Planning, evaluating, and assessing Collaborative Writing: How will I plan and execute collaborative writing in my instruction?
Student Roles in Collaborative Writing