Writing groups have the potential to be positive academic communities, but often become problematic spaces where students go to get their writing "fixed." In this article, the authors draw on literature from peer response groups as well as social justice pedagogies to explore how teachers might develop these groups as spaces for student…

This study examined the performance of university foreign language learners on a writing task by comparing paired work (n = 50) against individual work (n = 50). Data were collected based on three aspects of learners' task engagement: behavioural (time spent working on the task, number of words written), linguistic (English writing scores), and…

Communicative language teaching has emerged in second and foreign language pedagogy due to the inadequacy of previous language teaching methods to enhance English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' communicative competence. However, old language teaching methods, mainly, grammar-translation and audio-lingual, are still prevalent in EFL…

Collaborative learning theory points to knowledge construction as an outcome of peer interaction, justifying widespread implementation of collaborative activities (like small group discussion) that scaffold toward individual writing projects. This article offers a qualitative investigation into the process of collaborating with peers and the…

While educators value wikis' potential, wikis may fail to support collaborative constructive learning without careful scaffolding. This article proposes literature-based instructional methods, revised based on two expert instructors' input, presents the collected empirical evidence on the effects of these methods and proposes directions for future…

Outlines the Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) program, a sequenced and structured reading/language arts program used by elementary level students at Bracher School in Santa Clara, California. Describes several cooperative reading and writing activities used in this program. (MM)

Presents an initial minicollaboration exercise with which to begin collaborative projects. Notes that students discuss how to respond to a range of comments and concerns of prior students to collaboration, thus shifting learning and discovery to students from the very first step. (SR)

In "Rhetoric, Discovery and Change" (1970), R. Young, A. Becker, and K. Pike took Carl Rogers' empathetic approach out of the context of one-on-one therapy and put it into the writing classroom. They proposed the now standard formulaic structure of argumentation which emphasizes a strong thesis up front, a detailed account of the…

Describes a team assignment in an undergraduate report and proposal writing course in which students analyze a request for proposals. Discusses incorporating collaborative writing groups in the assignment and the grading method. (SR)

Presents a story-writing activity to encourage the relationship between children's experiences with literature and their ability to write. Emphasizes the importance of having students work in cooperative groups. (MG)

Class collaboration and small group composition illustrate the embedding of cooperative learning theory in whole language classroom events. Through this experience all students participate in active learning. The teacher has a weighty role in decision making, setting of the lesson, assigning roles, and monitoring segments of cooperative learning…

Upper-level elementary classroom teachers can integrate wordless picture books (usually used only in the lower elementary grades) with the Jigsaw approach to cooperative learning. Students are first assigned to heterogeneously-balanced "home teams." Members of the home team write a story to accompany a picture book, usually in about 15…

Offers suggestions for how to build a true community of writers in which responsibility is turned over to the students. Discusses modeling whole class books, small group publishing, steps in the writing process, tracking the process, building a community, learning leadership, and the role of the teacher. (RS)

Describes having students write an organizational analysis paper as part of a collaborative writing project in a human relations course. Discusses initial group formation and outlines the project. (SR)

Describes how small groups of eighth graders in a reading and language arts class collaborated on writing and performing mystery plays. Notes that mutual critiques during rehearsals lead to meaningful revisions and expanded students' knowledge of plot and characterization. (SR)