Collaborative Writing
Brittany Townsley
LMWP
My Questions
 How can I restructure the research paper for low-level
students without losing any of the importance?
 How can I motivate students to complete the arduous
tasks surrounding the research paper?
Guiding Thought
 There are five defining elements of cooperative
learning:
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

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Positive interdependence
Individual accountability
Promotive interaction
Social skills
Group processing
 David Johnson & Roger Johnson
Journal
 Recall your experience with writing research papers.
How were you taught or how did you teach yourself?
What part of the lesson(s) were imperative? Which
strategies should have been modified to help you
better gain these skills?
When you are finished
 Share these strategies with your small group.
 You group should create a T Chart listing the “Good”
strategies used to teach the research paper and the
“Not-so-good” strategies
 Next, share with the whole group.
The Research Paper
Good Strategies
Not-so-good Strategies
The Facts
 Cooperative learning has an effect size of .78 when
compared with instructional strategies in which
students work on tasks individually.
 Robert Marzano
Synthesis Study
Focus
No. of
Effect
Sizes
Ave. ES
Percentile
Gain
Johnson, D. ,
Maruyama, Johnson,
R., Nelson, & Skon,
1981
Cooperative vs.
individual
student tasks
104
.78
28
Student Work
 With your reading group, choose a group of essays to
answer the following questions:
Google Docs
 https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1T6cdP6Y
QSu11QgPEtJ4xCO04LZhbXx4riLewu2chqtU
 https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1bNnBPyc
Yg6wPkdiFey7mPSW65QG0kg6Y8JIY7GtxPoM
 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sGYNbKBLEuS
Z2PQXpR7ALo2s6ZPmYQxskHuPIww9i90/edit?hl=en_
US
Student Work
 1. Which restaurant is researched?
 2. What is the group trying to prove about the restaurant?
 3. What is the evidence the group uses to prove their thesis?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/
1sGYNbKBLEuSZ2PQXpR7ALo2s6ZPm
YQxskHuPIww9i90/edit?hl=en_US
How this works- Prewriting
 Students are placed in groups based on similar
interests
 Group brainstorms for a possible thesis
 Group brainstorms ways to prove their thesis
 Each group member chooses one way to prove the
thesis, which they will research
How this works- Researching
 Each group member finds at least one source on their
chosen topic
 Each group member shares their source with the rest
of the group
How this works- The Paper
 Each student writes his/her OWN paper
 The only similarities are the thesis and some facts
found in the common sources
Timeline
 Week 1: Form groups, develop thesis, assign roles,
outline introduction
 Week 2: Learn about school databases, research in
computer lab, take notes/highlight sources
 Week 3: Share sources with group, outline body
paragraphs, rough draft body paragraphs, peer edit
 Week 4: In-text citations, bibliography, conclusion,
type final draft.
Try it!
 With your reading group, complete the prewriting in
order to go through the group process.
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Look at your given topic
Narrow down your topic into a specific focus
Choose topics to support your focus
Choose who is researching what topic
 How does it feel going through this process with a
group?
 What would happen if you didn’t do your part?
Group Topics
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Kari’s group: Bullying
Susan’s group: Extra Curricular Activities
Lindsay’s group: Parental Involvement
Amanda’s group: Retention
Review- My Questions
 How can I restructure the research paper for low-level
students without losing any of the importance?
 How can I motivate students to complete the arduous
tasks surrounding the research paper?
Reflection
 How is this similar or different to how you teach or
were taught the research paper?
 How can cooperative learning help your students?
 What are the potential benefits of writing an essay
cooperatively?
Final Thought
 Collaborative writing provides a social context of
learning, fosters interdependence as well as a sense
of independence for learners. In the process of
collaboration…students learn how to write from their
peers, share knowledge and make decisions
collectively, deal with disagreements and conflicts,
utilize strategies, and make the collaboration a
beneficial experience for everyone through
teamwork and cooperation.
 Yong Mei Fung
Sources
 http://www.cehd.umn.edu/research/highlights/cooplearning/
 Classroom Instruction that Works by Robert J.
Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, & Jane E. Pollock (2001)
 Collaborative Writing Features by Yong Mai Fung
(Found in RELC journal, 41 (1) 18-30, 2010)
Personal Information
 Brittany Townsley
 Elkhart Community Schools
 brittml01@yahoo.com