Collaborative Writing Strategy for Teaching Writing Descriptive Text

Improving Writing Skills through Collaborative Strategy

by Shipra .*, Dr. Shilpi Bhattacharya,

- Published in Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, E-ISSN: 2230-7540

Volume 20, Issue No. 1, Jan 2023, Pages 252 - 256 (5)

Published by: Ignited Minds Journals


ABSTRACT

There is a possibility that it will be difficult to find out how to teach developmental writing classes. Students who have poor writing abilities, limited grasp of what it means to be a writer in an academic environment, and substantial anxiety about the writing process usually enroll in college developmental writing courses. Students who are required to spend a semester or more in remedial classes—which aim to improve skills such as grammar, spelling, and sentence structure—typically develop a pessimistic outlook on education as a result of their experiences. As a result of a lack of student involvement and the stigma that surrounds these courses, students who are enrolled in developmental courses may have lower percentages of staying in school, achieving their academic goals, and graduating. The requirement of negotiation is the second aspect that distinguishes collaboration from other forms of cooperation.

KEYWORD

collaborative writing strategy, teaching, writing, descriptive text, developmental writing, poor writing abilities, academic environment, anxiety, writing process, college developmental writing courses, pessimistic outlook on education, student involvement, stigma, graduating, negotiation, cooperation

INTRODUCTION

There is a possibility that it will be difficult to find out how to teach developmental writing classes. Students who have poor writing abilities, limited grasp of what it means to be a writer in an academic environment, and substantial anxiety about the writing process usually enrol in college developmental writing courses. Students who are required to spend a semester or more in remedial classes which aim to improve skills such as grammar, spelling, and sentence structure typically develop a pessimistic outlook on education as a result of their experiences. As a result of a lack of student involvement and the stigma that surrounds these courses, students who are enrolled in developmental courses may have lower percentages of staying in school, achieving their academic goals, and graduating. Increased student accomplishment in developmental writing classes can be accomplished through the implementation of a proven instructional method known as the "class essay," which incorporates an active learning approach. Writing exercises such as the so-called "class essay" are fantastic for teaching students not just the basics of the English language but also the mechanics of writing

Exchange between Parties

The social interactions that take place inside a collaborative writing group are the aspect that stands out the most as a distinguishing feature of the group. According to Dale (1997), for cooperation to be successful, high levels of participation from all members of the group are required. Students' capacity to think critically and creatively is improved when they engage with one another in a classroom setting that provides several opportunities for idea development and debate. Additionally, students have the ability to offer comments not just on the writing process but also on the content itself. As a direct result of this, their awareness of the current undertaking has been improved. If we take a look at the study that was done by Wenger (2008), we could have a better understanding of writing in collaboration with others. According to Wenger's research from 1998, developing a cohesive community of practitioners requires active participation from all of its members. Participants in a community of practising gain a more unified sense of who they are as a whole as a result of the interactions they have with one another. In addition, the interaction encourages "complimentary" contributions from all of the participants by drawing attention to the unique attributes possessed by each person. On the other hand, extended social contacts have a greater propensity to become hostile and argumentative. Prior to engaging in an activity that requires students to write together, it is essential to emphasise the necessity of teaching students the significance of reciprocal interactions and performing complementary roles as they plan, produce ideas, present alternatives, and reply to one another's points of view. This should take place before the students begin working on a collaborative writing project. In addition to developing their ability to share thinking.

Negotiation

Negotiation is the second characteristic that distinguishes collaboration from other forms of cooperation. Negotiation and interaction are closely connected concepts. When learners and their interlocutors confront difficulties in interpreting communications, this word refers to the alteration and restructuring of interaction that takes place. Clarification inquiries, confirmation checks, and understanding checks are all typical components of negotiation. Here are some examples: When a speaker is asked for clarification or confirmation of a statement, he or she will repeat, elaborate, or simplify the original message. Personal, interactive, and procedural negotiation are the three types of negotiation identified by Breen and Littlejohn (2000).For one to be successful in personal negotiation, the capacity to think critically is absolutely necessary. individuals are participating in interactive bargaining when they rearrange their words in such a way as to make it easier for other individuals to comprehend what has been communicated to them by demonstrating either their understanding or their lack of knowledge of what has been stated. The purpose of procedural negotiation is to achieve goals such as obtaining consensus on an issue pertaining to a task, addressing a common obstacle, or creating strategies of working together that are mutually agreeable. In addition to negotiating language and task method, learners may be required to negotiate relationships among group members from time to time. There are concerns of "face" and power in play here. When we talk about "face," we are referring to sentiments of shame or disgrace. It is normally in everyone's best interests to keep their "faces" on throughout the cooperation, or at the very least to prevent any "face-threatening" behaviour.

Mental Disagreement

The occurrence of conflict is the third characteristic that may be used to differentiate collaborative writing from other types of writing. Whenever many people are working on a piece of writing together, there is certain to be some mental friction. According to Dale (1994), conflict is inescapable since students are required to discuss their differing points of view in order to arrive at an agreement. As can be seen in Excerpt 2, the members of the group held many different perspectives on what constitutes the perfect leadership posture. Neetu had the opinion that a leader should not care too much about the people that work for them, in contrast to Rajveer, who held this attitude. When Neetu presented her perspective, the Even though a number of researchers that discussion may be advantageous for education, the general community appears to have diverse viewpoints on the matter. The productivity of a team may decrease when conflicts are not managed appropriately, particularly when the confrontations involve personalities and emotions. On the other hand, it has been shown that exposing students to conflict improves the quality of their writing. A more fruitful utilization of language is eventually reached as a consequence of the greater diversity of thinking that is promoted via disagreements. This is finally achieved as a result of the increased variety of thinking that is fostered through disputes.

Emotional Aspects to Take into Account

For a cooperative effort to be successful, there are some psychological conditions that must be satisfied beforehand. some examples of these are trust, dependability, devotion, and concern for other members of the group. when students have the perception that they are secure in the classroom, they are more inclined to ask questions, share ideas, and work joyously together. Students are more likely to speak their minds and express their thoughts without fear of punishment when they are in an environment that is both safe and inviting that when people working together generate favorable sentiments towards one another, it makes it simpler for them to acquire inter-subjectivity agreement on the topic or agree peacefully to continue working together on a range of subjects. This is because pleasant feelings make it easier for people to work together. It is likely that the sentiments and motivations of students might have a factor in how effectively they learn. Learning a new language may be stressful, and this stress may cause you to become less productive, detest writing, or even fear the activity of writing. In order for students to be able to compensate for their own inadequacies by drawing on the qualities of their peers, it is vital to develop an attitude of openness and readiness to help. This will allow students to draw on the strengths of their classmates and compensate for their own shortcomings.

Online Learning

According to Khan (1997a), "online learning implies a paradigm change not only for learners, but also for instructors, trainers, administrators, technical and other supportservices employees, and the institution." This applies to everyone involved in the process of online education. We (i.e., students, instructors, and staff) are accustomed to the structure of a traditional educational system, in which

years ago. On the other hand, online learning is a cutting-edge technique of delivering education to a diverse set of students in an environment where students, teachers, and support staff do not physically contact with one another. Despite the fact that online learning is a cutting-edge approach, it is not without its limits. There are several ways in which the structure of this type of learning environment is unlike to that of traditional classroom instruction. E-learning, as opposed to traditional classroom-based instruction, which takes place within the confines of a specific classroom, school, textbook, or field trip, takes place within an open system. This means that it "expands the boundaries of learning to an open and flexible space where learners decide where and when they want to learn." Traditional classroom-based instruction takes place within the confines of a specific classroom, school, textbook, or field trip. "Online education is a form of distance learning in which students take courses without actually attending a traditional school or institution," says Wikipedia. "Online education is a kind of remote learning." Instead, "online students and instructors engage only via the internet" as stated by Allen and Seaman

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. To get a better understanding of the emic viewpoint on cooperation, the use of LJ, and peer assistance. 2. To investigate the viability of collaborative writing as a teaching and learning technique Erging the three notions: The Blend- 110 model The Input-Interaction-Output Model (110 model), which is a fusion of the three assumptions, is widely regarded considered one of the most all-encompassing models for SLA analysis. Methods of teaching a language through interaction and dialogue pressure, according to the basic assumption of the study, which also investigates the link between communication and acquisition and the processes (for example, the noticing and attention) that mediate between them. A negotiated, interactional discussion becomes an element of the learning loop and a way of attracting attention to linguistic forms, drawing attention to a language difficulty, and therefore creating a context for learning, according to the 110 model. This means that from this viewpoint, collaborative conversation acts as a "priming function" that aids in the concentration of attention on prospective areas of work since interaction links input with learner internal skills and instigates selective attention, which ultimately leads to output.

Negative feedback received during negotiations or elsewhere might be beneficial to second language development, at least in terms of vocabulary, morphology, and language-specific syntax. It is also

This paradigm has been the subject of much study, Having a conversation in the target language with a native speaker, who can then provide the standard form of the language, information, and The student of English as a second language plays the part of a speaker of "incorrect" language who has to have their mistakes pointed out. The concept of a 'leamer' predominates, whereas the concept of a 'user' is completely ignored. In general, it is difficult to speculate on whether or not there is a significant association between social participation and the development of language. recognizing and attending to a gap is believed to be a crucial step towards language learning. Thus, empirical research have investigated collaborative discourse utilizing the notion of a "Language Related Episode" as the most fundamental component of linguistic investigation. Since its inception, the IIO model has been criticized for its dominant tenets of viewing interactions as information processing its emphasis on individual psycholinguistic processing in addition to the fact that it places a greater emphasis on the acquisition metaphor than it does on other, possibly more significant social factors., identities, and the learners' participation in the learning processes. Conceptualizing a Broader, Supportive and Participatory Framework: Perspectives from the Sociocultural Theory

It is noticed that efforts to complement the restricted emphasis of collaborative effort as information processing, as shown in SLA, are made, drawing on the theoretical ideas of the sociocultural literature to guide them. As a result, rather We rely on perspectives from sociocultural theory that propose that learning ought to be viewed through the lens of the 'participation metaphor' rather than the acquisition metaphor, which views information as a commodity and the mind as a container for the commodity. This is in contrast to the acquisition metaphor, which views the mind as a container for the commodity. According to this point of view, the most important factors for student success are collaboration among students, motivation among students, and achievement by students. the learning environment, as well as cultural, institutional, and socio-economic aspects that affect them individually, collectively, and intennitively amongst themselves, as well as the relationship between them. Language is the mediational instrument for the development of thinking, according to SCT's key thesis language is the medium via which "the human mind is mediated" which means that language is the medium. the development of thinking. Theoretically, Vygotsky asserted that humans employ cultural signals and instruments (for example, language and literacy) to moderate their relationships with one another and with their environment. As previously stated, these artefacts continued usage (particularly in more formal learning environments), they develop the capacity to eventually mediate our conversations with ourselves. in thinking, we internalise their use. In Moll, 1990: 11-12, Vygotsky is reported as saying Language, according to this approach, serves serves as a decoder for the events that take place, offers a setting for the interpersonal connections that take place, and serves as a medium for the construction of knowledge. As a result, social interactions at two levels contribute to cognitive development may occur on two levels: one at the interpersonal level, between two individuals, and within the context of their shared cultural experiences; and two, at the level of the whole population. at personal level, where one's own experiences, skills, and expertise are taken into account the technique of education and training in self-discipline. Learners are able to understand and comprehend the nature of the assistance that they get through exchanges. employ this information as a guide for their own autonomous behaviour. According to Vygotskyan viewpoints, language and cognition are mutually reinforcing and inextricably intertwined. Consequently, two parts of The following research in SLA is brought to your attention: the presence of stimuli for social interactions within one's social environment; the presence of support systems within one's social environment; ability to foster better levels of reasoning and problem solving skills. Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development is the location where the two elements: the contextual, social, and cultural resources, as well as individual cognition, come together in a complex way. According to Vygotsky's original definition, there are There are two phases of development: the first stage is the "actual development" stage, which occurs when characteristics that have attained maturity and have already become automatic, and the second level, the The zone of proximal development (ZPD) of a learner is the region in which they are able to push their own cognitive boundaries with the assistance of a teacher, a tcacher, a peer who is more advanced, or a group of individuals. with other learners. As a child grows older, cognitive development progresses at a slower pace, including processes that have not yet reached maturity but are on the verge of becoming automatic. Cognitive maturation is defined as the difference between current the growth of one's mind as well as the scope of their potential powers the near future when a person collaborates with a "more capable" peer. This concept has found widespread application in both in the classroom and in the realm of theoretical study. Despite the definition provided by the ZPD and operationalized in a variety of ways theoretically, the definition given by Newman, Griffin, and Cole (1989) of the ZPD, which they refer to It's termed the 'construction zone,' and it seems to meet the goals of the current study. It's also less perplexing

Imagine, if you will, two people whose activities are linked together by very fundamental rhythm, routines, and cues; a location where minds interact, where objects are not the same to those who view them; where meanings are fluid; and where one person's interpretation may precede that of another person. Even if the unique interpretations and uses of low-level signals by the players might vary greatly, the action is nonetheless kept moving forward by these signals. Through such collaborative effort, a teacher can build competence before performance, also known as a zone of proximal development.

CONCLUSION

The goal of this research was to try to acquire a better understanding of how and why beginning writers use their first language (L1) in collaborative writing while working in a second language (L2). as well as to investigate whether or not doing so might assist them in co-constructing possibilities for language learning. may be beneficial to participants' personal development, as well as how pupils perceive the advantages of cooperating on writing assignments. According to the findings, working together on a piece of writing is an activity This is a fluid and dynamic system that possesses the potential to cultivate what is known as a "dynamic collaborative learning environment." A domain that is influenced by a web of elements that include learner-related aspects, the cognitive-linguistic skills that educational settings transmit to students, the language politics of socioeconomic.

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Corresponding Author Shipra*

Research Scholar, Kalinga University