Supporting Online Synchronous Collaborative Writing in the Secondary Classroom

Online synchronous collaborative writing (SCW) is ubiquitous among youths and has found its way into many secondary English language arts classrooms. Yet, to maximize the affordances of online SCW, teachers need a synthesis of contemporary, evidence-based practices for how to support students during this form of writing. The purpose of this article is to highlight best practices for teachers and schools interested in leveraging their one-to-one technologies in more collaborative ways that include online SCW. The authors situate SCW in contemporary educational initiatives and then describe ways that teachers can incorporate SCW in their writing instruction through a hybrid approach—face-to-face and online—that enhances rich, meaningful peer-to-peer learning. The authors present actionable recommendations for teachers to consider before, during, and after online SCW. The authors conclude with how this approach to writing provides students with the technical and social tools to achieve success in the information society.