The effects of completing collaborative or independent writing on the development of language use in individual writing

Abstract

This quasi-experimental classroom-based study (n = 128) assessed how individual writing developed after students had completed either collaborative or independent writing; specifically looking at the development of language use in writing and changes in the complexity, accuracy and fluency of individual writing completed before and after either collaborative or independent writing had been carried out. While the complexity and fluency of individual writing changed in a similar way after collaborative or independent writing had been completed, analysis of pre and post-test writing revealed that accuracy increased by a significantly greater degree in the post-test writing of learners who carried out collaborative writing (n = 64). This suggests that students may be able to learn about correct language use from writing collaboratively with their peers.