Collaborative writing assignments are an essential element of teaching technical and professional writing, and they should be included in online writing instruction (OWI). The COVID-19 pandemic was a drastic interruption of regular teaching practices that had the potential of derailing the practice of assigning online collaborative writing…

We evaluate the use of a Virtual Exchange (VE) writing task, Stimulus Writing, which we assigned to groups of UK and Finnish business students. There were two learner cohorts in the study: one in the UK (mainly Chinese students), the other in Finland (mainly Finns). The Finnish students wrote authentic case studies about Nordic businesses, while…

Responding to the call for the contemplative teaching of writing initiated by O'Reilley (1993) and extended by Kirsch (2008; 2009), Kroll (2013), Kroll (2008), Wenger (2015), and Harrison (2012), among others, this article explores the theoretical considerations, practical components, challenges, and adaptability involved in teaching a…

In this paper, we discuss the multi-faced role of English writing in the international workplace. Drawing upon previous research, we point out that English, as the main lingua franca, supports a variety of writing practices in the workplace, and so it presents both significant value and challenges for internationally operating individuals and…

An approach is described that gradually transitions second-year organic chemistry students to writing full "The Journal of Organic Chemistry" ("JOC") style lab reports. The primary goal was to introduce students to and build rhetorical skills in scientific and technical writing. This was accomplished by focusing on four main…

The present article describes and evaluates collaborative interdisciplinary group projects initiated by content lecturers and an English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) instructor for the purpose of teaching technical writing skills in an aeronautical engineering degree program. The proposed technical writing model is assessed against the results of a…

Carter (2007) identifies four meta-genres associated with writing activities that can help students learn discipline-specific writing skills relative to standards within a given field: these include problem solving, empirical approaches to analysis, selection of sources to use within research, and production of materials that meet accepted…

Outlines a technical writing course in which the students collaborate in writing a technical writing handbook. The course includes traditional lectures as well as small and large group work on various aspects of writing the handbook. (TJ)

Discusses the purpose and effects of collaborative writing in proposal development projects. Suggests how collaboration serves the larger social functions of the modern corporation. Discusses how the circumstances of proposal development affect collaboration. Describes storyboarding--a common and often highly effective tool for fostering…

Describes a collaborative writing project at Adrian College in Michigan. Students in a general chemistry class collaborated with those from a freshman writing course; the intention was to have students combine their talents to improve their ability to express scientific ideas in a clear and accurate manner. Discusses student reactions and…

Describes a collaborative writing assignment which features a series of interconnected business messages arising out of a case study and including inhouse memos and an analytical report. Shows how the design of a collaborative writing assignment can foster creative rather than debilitative tension. (RS)

Describes a classroom project in which students prepare a complex collaborative document (assembled from subparts, each collaboratively produced). Enumerates advantages and problems that grow out of this complex collaboration in relation to overall goals for the teaching of writing skills. (SR)

Deals with the special problems of collaborative writing, such as integrating style, tone, and purpose. Notes that with access to a computer, collaborative writers can improve communication by using electronic mail to review rough drafts and by editing their work with word processing software. (EL)

Considers how ideology in its various manifestations intersects with collaborative composing both in the business writing class and in the corporation. Describes several classroom experiences which demonstrate how ideology influences students' collaborative dynamics. Considers from a more distant vantage how specific composing ideologies influence…

A study explored collaborative writing practices in six major professional associations: (1) The American Institute of Chemists, (2) the American Consulting Engineers Council, (3) the International City Management Association, (4) the American Psychological Association, (5) the Professional Services Management Association, and (6) the Society for…