Judy Maxwell and Jen Anderson

Study and Learning Centre

RMIT University

Research Writing Group Kit

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Research Writing Group Benefits

• Develop a learning community

• Increase publication output

• Increase motivation of thesis/exegesis writers

• Normalise research writing issues

(Aitchison, 2009, 2010; Aitchison & Lee, 2006; Boud & Lee, 2005; Cuthbert & Spark, 2008; Kamler & Thomson, 2006; Larcombe, McCosker & O’Loughlin, 2007)

Research Writing Groups: Theoretical underpinning

• Academic literacies

• Discursive social practice – (the scholarly voice)

• Peer learning (dialogic learning)

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(Aitchison, 2009; Boud & Lee, 2005; Kamler & Thomson, 2006; Lea, 2004; Lea & Street, 1998; Lillis, 2006; Wingate, 2006)

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Discipline-specific?

Multidisciplinary

Multi-Disciplinary,with 5 self-selecting sub-groups

Research Writing Groups: Current models

SEH

ART

SOC SCI

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Knowledge back and forth and in-between: a complex messy business

Writing Group Kit: Rationale

• SLC staffing limitations

• The ideal

: many RWGs across RMIT

: self-selecting and semi-autonomous

: peer-facilitated

: encouragement from supervisors and research community

• RWG kit: a sustainable solution?

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Writing Group Kit: Research informing development

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1. Action research with RWGs

• issues• observations of candidates in dialogue about text• resources developed upon request• feedback on processes, activities

2. Supervisor conversations

• methods to develop candidate as research writer• recommendations for kit resources and RWG formation.

Research Outcomes: Key Ingredients

Writing groups can work independently.

Ingredient 1 - Facilitator who is NOT a teacher, but a peer.

Shana emailed me a paragraph of her writing. I spent time analysing it on PPT.

In fact this was unnecessary.

The students turned out to be excellent at analysis and drew out the best from Shana – they could sense or see directly what was wrong and ask guiding questions or make useful suggestions about changes…

They bring recent experience and expertise to the discussions – newly learned information seems to be powerful in the telling – much more than what I can offer. I like the collegiality of these sessions.

Jen Anderson reflective journal: 15 September 2011

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Ingredient 2: Peer facilitator

With writing from my group, i feel more ‘attached’ to the text as well as being able to identify with it: "i write that way sometimes" / "i used to write it like that" / "I can see why he/she did that".

Along with the discussions, i have the sense that i want to help my peers in any way i can or the best i can.

I try to contribute/provide more feedback (i.e. the mind starts jogging).

I don’t feel as close or ‘attached’ to textbook examples. Perhaps it’s because of the relation i have with the author: peer/friend /colleague instead of “i don’t know who came up with this.”

Facilitator PCW, email correspondence with Jen Anderson, 3/10/11

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What makes peers such effective mentors?

Other key ingredients

• Negotiated group dynamics, facilitation and operation

• Kit design principles

• Facilitator training

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Research Writing Group Kit: Content

• Beginning a Research Writing Group

• Research Writing Groups: Handbook for facilitators

• Research Writing Groups: Learning resources

• Useful publications for research writers

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Research Writing Groups: Handbook for Facilitators

Main objective

Provide resources to enable successful facilitation and participation in RWGs.

Specific objectives

Resources will demonstrate how to:

• set up and maintain a group

• establish roles and responsibilities (facilitator and group members)

• communicate effectively

• plan and run sessions

• identify and seek additional support/services

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1. Dialogic Learning (vs Adversarial Debate)

2. Process

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Research Writing Groups: The base approach

The writer The reader/group

1. Emails to the group 1 week in advance.

3. The writer sets the con for the text.

6. The writer explains and re-explains in response to questions; makes notes.

8. The writer re-writes.

2. The reader reads, thinks, makes notes.

4. The group listens, makes notes.5. The readers wonder aloud, ask

questions.7. The reader looks to the text and

suggests ways in which this meaning can be made manifest.

9. The reader reviews and comments again.

10. The group identifies sticking points and searches for solutions.

Research Writing Groups: The base approach

3. Text analysis – noticing activities

• Identify text function and purpose/intention (genre-section-paragraph)

• Relate to key discourse elements in text

• Compare and contrast across articles-theses-peer reviewed journals

• Call on the experts as necessary.

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NOTICINGAnalyse abstracts in your research field

1. Order of presentation

2. Verb tenses in each sentence

3. Opening sentence – starter points

Abstracts/Summaries

Research Writing Groups: Supplementary techniques

• Mind-mapping

• Guided peer questioning and critical questioning

• Whole group writing and ‘stripping’

• Writing and responding

• Reading stimulus pieces for writing

• Presentations

• Drawing and writing

• Read-discuss-write

• Reflective journal

• Show and tell

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Jen A

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refle

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jour

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2011

Research Writing Groups: Supplementary techniques

• Mind-mapping

• Guided peer questioning and critical questioning

• Whole group writing and ‘stripping’

• Writing and responding

• Reading stimulus pieces for writing

• Presentations

• Drawing and writing

• Read-discuss-write

• Reflective journal

• Show and tell

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Research Writing Groups: Learning resources

(printable PDFs, PowerPoint slides with voice-over, etc.)

1. Confidence-builders (talk and write)

2. Engagement with the literature

3. Authority in writing

4. Discourse structures (genre, section, paragraph)

5. Paragraph development and cohesion

6. Academic style and grammar

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Confidence builder: egs of three minute monologues

1. The three-minute thesis and spinoffs

2. Key thinkers/researchers• Introduce ONE key thinker or researcher/research team in your field.

• Say what they did, what their contribution was, and why the contribution is important in general.

• Explain how their work is relevant to your own research

3. Key themes, theories, ideas

… … …

7. I wonder: curious thoughts

8. It’s like this… (from words to figure/table; from figure/table to words)

Bring an image/table (your own or one developed in a text) and talk about it for three minutes. Use the following questions as prompts for discussion:

• What does the image represent or convey?

• Why is it relevant to your research or your project? 

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References

Aitchison, C. (2009). Writing groups for doctoral education. Studies in Higher Education, 34 (8), pp 905-916.

Aitchison, C. (2010). Learning together to publish. In (C. Aitchison, B. Kamler, & A. Lee, Eds) Publishing pedagogies for the doctorate and beyond. London: Routledge. pp 83-100.

Aitchison, C. & Lee, A. (2006). Research writing: problems and pedagogies. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(3), pp 265-278.

Boud, D. & Lee, A. (2005). Peer learning as pedagogic discourse for research education. Studies in Higher Education, 30(5), pp 501-505.

Cuthbert, D. & Spark, C. (2008). Getting a GRiP: examining the outcomes of a pilot program to support graduate research students in writing for publication. Studies in Higher Education, 33(1), pp 77 -88.

Lea, M. (2004). Academic literacies: A pedagogy for course design. Studies in Higher Education, 29(6), pp 739-756.

Lea, M. & Street, B. (1998). Student writing in higher education: An academic literacies approach. Studies in Higher Education, 23, pp 157-172.

Kamler, B. & Thomson, P. (2006). Helping doctoral students to write. London: Routledge.

Larcombe, W., McCosker, A. & O’Loughlin, K. (2007). Supporting education PhD and DEd students to become confident academic writers: An evaluation of thesis writers’ circles. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 4(1), pp 54-63.

Lillis, T. (2006). Moving towards an ‘Academic Literacies’ pedagogy: dialogues of participation. In (L. Ganobcsik-Williams, Ed.) Teaching academic writing in UK higher education: Theories, practices and models. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Wingate, U. (2006). Doing away with ‘study skills’. Teaching in Higher Education (11)4, pp 457-469.

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