User:Brb0305/Collaborative writing

Collaborative writing as an educational tool
Collaborative writing is a technique used by educators to improve the writing skills of students. This method can assist writers of all ages and levels of proficiency to produce texts of a higher quality with students having a generally positive view of the assignment. '''Collaborative writing in an educational setting can occur in the classroom or online. There are many digital platforms, such as Google Docs and Wikipedia, that are designed for collaborative writing and are widely popular for learning due to their sharing features and the ability for users to communicate in real time and save their progress. With online resources for students to use while collaborating on writing assignments, It also affects how instructions shape their teaching and how they collaborate with the students. Additionally, the strategies instructors use to promote collaborative writing in the classroom can shape the students' experience working with one another. ''' Typically, collaborative writing in a classroom setting differs from cooperation or peer-review in that it is defined by the co-authorship of the participants, meaning the students contribute equally at all stages of the writing process to produce the final project. Collaborative writing requires cooperation, which causes more language related episodes through assigning tasks, comparing ideas, and revising the text. It typically results in more accurate language usage, and it can even improve oral fluency and confidence in speaking in the target language. Students also feel higher levels of motivation to complete the task due to the group interaction and dependability on their peers.

The grouping of the students is significant. Larger groups seem to produce better texts and have more language related episodes.[32] Students in groups of low proficiency will have fewer language related episodes and focus on meaning, while students with higher proficiency will have more language related episodes and focus on grammar. It is still beneficial to pair students of high proficiency with students of low proficiency because they will have more language related episodes. However, it is most effective to pair or group students with similar proficiency levels because they will engage more with each other and with the collaborative writing task.[33] '''If students who are collaborating are performing at different proficiency levels and have a various range of abilities, it may affect their success. Pairing students of different levels together may cause an imbalance in responsibilities when dividing the work, therefore predetermined grouping requires careful consideration. It is the students' responsibility to be productive in their groups and collaborate effectively, but there is a degree of responsibility for the instructor to establish groups that will work well together.'''

Surprisingly, one study shows that even silent group members who do not contribute to the discussion or the task completion still benefit from collaborative writing through observing the exchanges from their peers. '''The grouping of students and determining leadership can also influence how the group members interact with one another. While collaborative writing can create concerns regarding some members not actively participating, there can also be issues involving unequal leadership and unbalanced control within the group. If a member of a collaborative writing project does assume a leadership role, it should entail maintaining fair work distribution and encouraging efficiency to provide strength for the group as an entity.'''

(My contributions to the existing article are bolded)