The Writing discipline’s findings on conducting asynchronous, online peer workshopping

Synopsis

In 2019, we refreshed the unit WRIT309/509: Writing Creative Non-fiction. Our refreshment provided students with a balance of theory, individual writing practice, and engagement opportunities for students. In the first assessment, students planned a work of creative nonfiction, and then produced this work for the second assessment. We also created a peer workshop with a grade allocation of 10% to allow students to give and receive feedback on their project drafts between two larger assessments. We faced challenges in how to implement these peer workshops for online students, replicating the positive outcomes of face-to-face workshops in a different learning environment for a different cohort of students. We designed a self-enrolled online workshopping assessment, but many students experienced difficulty using the digital tools. Following completion of the unit, we began a research project on developing and improving online student experience with digital peer workshops. We conducted focus groups and surveys to gauge student reactions in 2019 and 2021. Our findings have added to our disciplinary Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and in this presentation, we would like to share them with our UNE colleagues.

Uplift Element

Engagement Opportunities