Collaborative writing involves two or more writers synthesizing their perspectives to create a new shared voice and texts. It has three qualities - reflexive dialogue where writers discuss their work, invention where they create texts to explore ideas, and continuity of working together. Collaborative writing is becoming more common with projects like Wikipedia. It has value for learning as writing can aid in thinking and sharing of ideas. The document then discusses trying collaborative composition through free writing and brainstorming advantages and concerns before considering different models of collaborative writing.

1. Collaborative Writing – some
considerations

2. 2
What is collaborative writing?
‘an inventive process and reflexive
relationship through which two or
more writers synthesize their
individual perspectives to create a
new, shared voice through which to
compose texts … three basic qualities
… reflexive dialogue … invention –
[creation of texts to explore ideas] …
continuity …’ (Duffy and Pell, 2013:
251

3. 3
Why might this matter?
• Collaboration is here to stay
(including massive collaborative
writing project – OED, Wikipedia)
• Value of togetherness and
community (as an antidote to
individualism?)
• Value of shared meaning making
for learning – ‘writing as a medium
for thinking, for the growth and
exchange of ideas’ (Restaino, 2014:
9)

4. 4
Briefly, we will have the
opportunity to:
•try some collaborative composition
•reflect on collaborative writing
•consider advantages and concerns around
collaborative writing
•consider some models of collaborative
writing.

5. Trying collaborative composition
5

6. 6
Free writing
• Writing for five
minutes
• Without stopping
• In sentences
• For no reader
• Without
structure.

7. 7
Try free writing to a prompt
‘From today, and from previous experience, one of
the things that strikes me about collaborative
composition/writing is …’
Remember
• Writing for five minutes
• Without stopping
• In sentences
• For no reader
• Without structure.

8. 8
Brainstorming
Most ideas!
Advantages?
Concerns?

9. 9
Shapes and Models
• Peer Review?
• Writers’
Groups/Retreats/reside
ncies/spaces
• Lead writing
(sequential) – first draft
• Turn writing (parallel) –
separate sections
• Side-by-side
(reciprocal) writing
Technology in this?

10. 9
Shapes and Models
• Peer Review?
• Writers’
Groups/Retreats/reside
ncies/spaces
• Lead writing
(sequential) – first draft
• Turn writing (parallel) –
separate sections
• Side-by-side
(reciprocal) writing
Technology in this?