sutherlandsmith-writingastribalpractice-2006.pdf (154.54 kB)
Writing as tribal practice : revisiting online collaborative writing
conference contribution
posted on 2006-01-01, 00:00 authored by Wendy Sutherland-SmithWendy Sutherland-SmithMany teachers encourage sharing ideas and knowledge through collaborative group writing to build self-confidence in developing writers. However, some students do not appear to gain a sense of belonging in the collaborative experience. This evolving study explores online collaborative writing with the purpose of creating a 'third author' - the group (tribal) voice. One aim is to reclaim writing as a conscious collaborative act where meaning is attained only at the end of the thought-sharing process. Therefore, the process of writing is seen as more important than the product. A further aim is to observe how intensive writing collaboration will affect both the writers and the writing during the process. A group of language teachers from Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the USA meet every two weeks in cyberspace for a two-hour intensive writing session. The group has met for the past three months. Different discourses appear to be fusing into a metamorphosed new hybrid author - the tribal group voice. These early findings suggest that such practices may assist learners who experience difficulty entering or contributing to collaborative writing or group-work tasks. Additionally, online group work may benefit, as no physical human contact exists to gain a sense of 'group'.
History
Event
Australian Association of Research in Education. International Conference (2006 : Adelaide, S.A.)Pagination
1 - 11Publisher
Australian Association for Research in EducationLocation
Adelaide, S.A.Place of publication
Adelaide, S.A.Start date
2006-11-27End date
2006-12-01Indigenous content
This research output may contain the names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased. We apologise for any distress that may occur.Language
engNotes
Reproduced with the kind permission of the copyright owner.AARE requests directions to their homepage should be included http://www.aare.edu.au/index.htmPublication classification
E1.1 Full written paper - refereedCopyright notice
2006, Australian Association for Research in EducationTitle of proceedings
AARE Conference Paper Abstracts; 2006Usage metrics
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