Information and digital literacy in education via the digital path

Collaborative writing is a great way to to teach students the writing skill while enjoying it. Now that technology and web 2.0 tools are ubiquitous, you can use a plethora of awesome tools to enhance collaborative writing in your class.

Natalia et al. paper on  collaborative writing sheds some light on the importance of this skill for students:

In the classroom, collaborative writing increases student participation, facilitates discussion of readings and enhances critical thinking (Chan, 1996). It encourages students to continually assess their own performance and class work as well as that of their peers (Jacobsen and Mueller, 1998).Students learn to clearly express ideas through writing . Collaborative writing effectively teaches the concept of teamwork.Collaborative writing improves document quality by pooling the strengths of group members. At the same time, individual weaknesses are caught by the group and revised.Ultimately, collaboration can be a form of motivation for students as they become excited about working with a group as well as the prospect of learning from other students.

In an increasingly connected world, it’s imperative for individuals to be able to work together on projects. Collaboration is essential for you as an educator and for your students as they journey through the world of academia.