Developing team skills through a collaborative writing assignment
Abstract
Employers want students who are able to work effectively as members of a team, and expect universities to develop this ability in their graduates. This paper proposes a framework for a collaborative writing assignment that specifically develops students’ ability to work in teams. The framework has been tested using two iterations of an action research project, with this paper focusing on the second iteration. The paper provides detailed information on how the framework was implemented, and then reports on the students’ perceptions of their learning about teamwork.
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It should not be assumed that students already have the skills to work effectively with others.
“Although discussions and collaborative practices may be positive for dealing with this task, it should not be assumed that students already have the skills to work effectively with others (Thomas, 2014).”
From Collaborative writing of argumentative syntheses by low-performing undergraduate writers: explicit instruction and practice (2023) · cites this paper as Thomas, 2014
It cannot be assumed that students know how to work together.
“since it cannot be assumed that students know how to work together (Thomas, 2014).”
From Collaborative writing of argumentative syntheses by low-performing undergraduate writers: explicit instruction and practice (2023) · cites this paper as Thomas, 2014
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“(Roschelle and Teasley 1995, 80) For the purpose of this paper, a student collaborative writing assignment is considered to be a coordinated, synchronous activity that attempts to construct a cohesive writing product, using the shared skills and knowledge of the student team.”
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- Authors
- Thomas, T. A.
- Affiliations
- Australian Catholic University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Thomas, Theda Ann
- ORCID
- Thomas, Theda Ann
- Venue
- Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-10-24
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 479-495
- ISSN
- 0260-2938 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-297X
- OpenAlex
- W2065455139
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 3.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education (publishedVersion)
- Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
- Social Sciences › Education › Problem and Project Based Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Team Dynamics and Performance
- Keywords
- collaborative writing, teamwork skills, team-based learning, student perceptions, graduate employability, higher education assessment
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