Establishing and maintaining successful writing groups for research students

1. Establishing and maintaining successful writing groups for research students Claire Aitchison, University of Western Sydney Sarah Haas, Aston University

2. Workshop objectives Brief introduction to effectiveness of writing groups for research students Writing group models Workshop component Facilitating learning through writing reviewing and talking

3. Do you have any particular requests?

4. Writing groups Are “the practice as well as the site of production and exchange of knowledge” ( Aitchison and Lee, 2006) Reconstitute normal teaching learning practices and hierarchies Are safe spaces for learning and error-making Normalise writing Are fun and collegial

5. The efficacy of writing groups • Benefit writing quality and quantity (Cuthbert, Spark, Burke, 2009; Larcombe, McCosker, O’Loughlin, 2007; Lee & Boud, 2003; Murray, 2008) • Facilitate knowledge and skill acquisition • Informal – eg from peers, communities of practice • Formal – eg from language lecturers/ supervisors /others • Counter isolation • Build academic/ research networks and writing cultures

6. Learning occurs in writing groups In the process of writing for the group, As peers read and critique that text In discussion of that writing amongst the group Through formal and informal input from facilitator and peers In the subsequent re-drafting of the original text

7. Our work on writing groups is influenced by Theory – peer learning (I mostly draw on this eg Boud & Lee, 2005 – who/what else can we add – from your research?) , communities of practice, legitimate peripheral practice, academic literacies ?? Research – yours, 2 of mine, others (most rsch into WGs I know of is small scale – otherwise research / practice-based evidence into the need for supporting research wtg and wrtg for publication) Practice – the focus of this workshop ( and then we go to that – drawing on own experiences plus the literature!)

8. Models of writing groups • Never know the best way to set this out... But here’re some dimensions – maybe a table? Any ideas? • Self-directed and initiated, groups of peers • Facilitated, institutionally sanctioned • Supervisor initiated (Kamer & Thompson, 2007) • Writing expert / academic adviser facilitated • Single discipline or interdisciplinary • Primary task of group time is discussion of members text / writing together in group time • Not usually a formal part of the curriculum nor assessable