Co-authoring

What is it?

Students use a web-based tool to collaboratively generate and edit content. The use of a central location, or website, means that everyone is contributing to the same space. This strategy is particularly suitable where there are tasks that involve all students working on a single item, for example, a review or proposal, or where a creative solution to a problem is being sought.

If you use a forum, email or a blog, the content will generally appear sequentially, so that subsequent changes or edits are in a different space, while the use of a wiki means that everything occurs in the same place. Think of a wiki as a whiteboard space on the computer where people can modify each other’s contributions, and add to what is there. Everyone has an equal voice. Most wiki software also allows communication between the members, often via a discussion page, so that comments can be made about changes as they are made.

If you decide to use a podcast, this allows students to work in groups to plan, record and edit their own audio program. Within a virtual conferencing space there are also features such as a whiteboard and the ability to share desktops (along with the ability to talk to each other) which can facilitate co-authoring tasks.

Pros and cons

Can be a rapid way of gathering content from all members of a class into one central point.
Students may not be in regular face-to-face contact – this way they can still collaborate.
Some students need initial inspiration – by seeing others’ contributions they can be inspired to contribute.
Online collaboration and authoring can bring out the voices or contributions of quieter students in face-to-face sessions.
Some students may feel uncomfortable with expressing their ideas within a group, the fact that their ideas may be changed by someone else.
It will be necessary to establish some rules or protocols, to maintain order within the space, although these are often self-correcting.
There may be issues for students with literacy or spelling/grammar problems, if they are sharing their written work with others in the group.

Fit for purpose?

Suitable for any collaborative task if students have access to appropriate hardware, software and the internet.
Great for aggregating resources and links, and brainstorming with content and ideas.
Ideally used where a body of work needs to be generated by a group of people – can work better than individual contributions that are not shared (eg written answers to questions).
Can also work in a face-to-face situation if computers are available – extends the session beyond the classroom after class.
Serves as a hub for content from all members of the class.
Teacher needs to moderate the space.
Students need to be able to work cooperatively and may need to assume roles in the collaborative process such as ‘writers’, ‘editors’ or ‘reviewers’.
Students need to be made aware that everyone’s opinion is valid, and not to be disrespectful.
Students need to be adequately oriented to using the space.
Tasks to be achieved need to be clearly defined.

Find out more

For more ideas of how this strategy can work in practice, go to the following case studies:

Podcasting – Sharing and creating with podcasts, Rosa Ochoa
Virtual conferencing – Personal learning with virtual conferencing’, Gregor MacKenzie
Wikis – Sharing and co-authoring with wikis, David Bartolo