Assessment
Assessment of the collaborative assignment is dependent on the effectiveness of the instructor’s ability to provide clear structure for the collaboration. Since the instructor has a role in the collaboration form the creation of groups (randomly or structured), organizing the assignment, and evaluation. While it can be easy to assess the final product, collaborative writing assignments should be assessed holistically - the process, the instructor, and peer interaction.
One way to look at this is by assessing the group dynamic and the process that leads to the output. It should encourage all members to give their best efforts to develop communication skills and negotiate fairness among all group members. Ways that this can be accomplished is by several assessment devices:
- observing group meetings informally;
- collecting a complete paper trail of drafts from beginning to end process. This can be plans, outlines, drafts, and revisions;
- Conduct a peer-evaluation at the end of the collaboration in which students assess the performance of fellow members and themselves.
Collaboration Workflow - example
A way to understand the collaboration is by examining the flow of a collaborative writing assignment along all involved. In the classroom, the success in the ability to complete an assignment falls on the instructor just as much as in the students. From making sure that the assignment has clear guidelines to being able to clearly guide them through the process. While learning does not happen in a vacuum and is subject to external influences, understanding any possible flow of work is useful as an instructor to recognize the process of your students. While not all students work the same, having a starting point from which you can continue to draw upon and add to it, can help in developing better assignments. The outcome of this workflow is not to keep students working in a linear process, but to self-assess your own assignments. Assessment goes both ways, the instructor's and the student's. And while student's should be able to asses the instructor, the instructor should take the time to asses themselves as well.
