1. Claire Aitchison, University of Western Sydney Sarah Haas, Aston University

2.  Brief introduction to effectiveness of writing groups for research students  Writing group models Workshop component  Facilitating learning through writing reviewing and talking

3.  Do you have any particular requests?

4.  Are “the practice as well as the site of production and exchange of knowledge” ( Aitchison and Lee, 2006)  Reconstitute normal teaching learning practices and hierarchies  Are safe spaces for learning and error- making  Normalise writing  Are fun and collegial

5.  Benefit writing quality and quantity ( Cuthbert, Spark, Burke, 2009; Larcombe, McCosker, O’Loughlin, 2007; Lee & Boud, 2003; Murray, 2008)  Facilitate knowledge and skill acquisition Informal – eg from peers, communities of practice Formal – eg from language lecturers/ supervisors /others  Counter isolation  Build academic/ research networks and writing cultures

6.  In the process of writing for the group,  As peers read and critique that text  In discussion of that writing amongst the group  Through formal and informal input from facilitator and peers  In the subsequent re-drafting of the original text

7.  Theory – peer learning (I mostly draw on this eg Boud & Lee, 2005 – who/what else can we add – from your research?), communities of practice, legitimate peripheral practice, academic literacies ??  Research – yours, 2 of mine, others (most rsch into WGs I know of is small scale – otherwise research / practice-based evidence into the need for supporting research wtg and wrtg for publication)  Practice – the focus of this workshop ( and then we go to that – drawing on own experiences plus the literature!)

8.  Never know the best way to set this out... But here’re some dimensions – maybe a table? Any ideas?  Self-directed and initiated, groups of peers  Facilitated, institutionally sanctioned Supervisor initiated (Kamer & Thompson, 2007) Writing expert / academic adviser facilitated Single discipline or interdisciplinary Primary task of group time is discussion of members text / writing together in group time Not usually a formal part of the curriculum nor assessable