The aim of the collaboration phase is in groups of 5 students to study more deeply the chosen topic, and as a collaborative writing process, to write a scientific article. The length of the article can be around 12-15 pages.

The articles will contribute a CSCL journal. Your task include 1) deciding the specific topic for your article, 2) sharing roles and responsibilities between group members, 3) setting up a schedule for your group work, and 4) actively participating in writing the article.

Please refer to the following image to know about the course deadlines. The same has been shared on the "Classwork" tab of Google Classroom. (keep scrolling down for the group details and the work flow activities)

Social aspects of CSCL

Socio-emotional aspects of CSCL

Scripting CSCL

Metacognition in CSCL

Basics

Meet your group online and get to know each others. In addition discuss, agree and write down details on how your group is going to collaboration for successfully completing the article. Set a date to the joint meeting e.g. via Google forms (save the form in your group folder) and fill in your name and Skype account (in the Doc-file in your group folder).

Professional frame for the collaboration phase

You are advanced students in your higher education path, therefore consider you as a group of academics, who is doing important contribution to the science. Put together your expertise and efforts and behave as experts do. They set their goals, define strategies, monitor the process, and make changes if needed. In addition, they see and approach problems and challenges as interesting learning opportunities. Experts ask: what do we need to understand in order to excel the task; what kind of knowledge we still need and they are willing to give and receive feedback from their peers. Although collaborative writing and learning requires courage and skills to contribute same text, not to divide it to each author (co-operative), it would be helpful for you to define roles. The role gives more mental freedom and same time provides directions for focusing attention and activities. Despite of the chosen roles everyone is fully responsible about the entire process and outcomes.

Below, two sets of possible roles are presented. As a group, define clearly responsibilities, schedule, practices, and tools.

QUALITY ASSURANCE ROLES

1. Quality of references

2. Quality of structure

3. Quality of academic writing

4. Quality of justifications and argumentation

5. Quality of flow and motivation: group process, article process

EXPERT ROLES

1. Cognitive expert: responsible for knowledge management, justifications, argumentation, critical and analytical thinking

2. Social expert: responsible for social aspects of the article and group learning process, engagement in writing, negotiations and group process

3. Emotional expert: responsible for emotional aspects of the article and group learning process, focus on how to trigger interest and enhance motivation. When collaboration is regular and successful, it boosts the process as a positive circle.

4. Physical expert: responsible for practical issues

5. Creative expert: responsible for creative, divergent thinking; finds new ways through critical thinking, provides creative, even playful and humorous ideas

Purpose of meetings

The purpose of the meetings is to get to know each other and to discuss about content you are interested in and practices how you are going to organise your collaboration.

• Choose a specific topic you want to deepen your knowledge. Inform your tutor about your choice.

• Search and read articles (at least 5/ group) dealing with your topic area. Your tutor will help you in finding the articles.

You may discuss also:

• How to keep the group active and productive; how to interact and manage with challenges and how to define your timetable. Are there roles for group members?

• What is your topic and particularly subtopic – your tentative ideas, feelings and intentions.

• How to make notes, plan or mental map for structuring your article. APA manual helps to define the relevant structure for the article.

• Start collaborative writing process (reading, writing, re-writing, discussing etc.).

This phase provides groundings for group cohesion, for shared regulation and for the question: why is this article important; what we need for this article.

NOTE! Inform your tutor about the meeting.

A. Selecting and defining relevant problem/question, aim and context

In this phase you'll define the "heart" for the article.

• Decide and define your question(s) or problem that will focus in your article.

• Decide and define aim.

• Decide and define context.

• Keep on reading and regular computer-supported collaborative writing.

• Find more information and deepen your understanding of the context (related studies and publications).

B. Understanding theoretical basis

• Find more information and deepen your understanding of the theoretical basis of the topic (related studies)

• Define central concepts

• Keep on reading and computer-supported collaborative writing and re-writing.

C. Constructing the solution for the problem/question

• Construct the output, where you provide answers for the question/problem.

• Keep on reading and computer-supported collaborative writing and re-writing.

D. Concluding and discussing

• Conclude your topic and write discussion.

• Discuss and decide order of authorship.

• Keep on computer-supported collaborative writing and re-writing.

E. Writing abstract + keywords

• Write structured abstract and define key words (3-5)

• Discuss and decide order of authorship.

• Keep on computer-supported collaborative writing and editing.

F. Finalizing and publishing

• Re-read (proofreading) and edit your article

  • structure and content

  • citing

  • clear and concise

  • mechanics of style

  • references

• Discuss how satisfied you are in your process and result; does meet your requirements

• You can also refer to this document for self-evaluating your article and to estimate its quality. We hope it helps you in guiding your final steps of this article.