USING&COLLABORATIVE&GOOGLE&DOCS&FOR&JOINT&CONSTRUCTION)IN)GENRE)PROCESS)WRITING!
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Matthew'Miner!
Kanda%University%of%International%Studies!
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BACKGROUND:,A,GENRE,APPROACH,TO,WRITING,AND,THE,CURRICULUM,CYCLE!
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One$ of$ the$ core# English( courses! at# this# institution! follows& a& genre& approach& to& reading& and&writing,( which(“aims( to( make( the( learner( aware( of( the( structure( and( purpose(of( the( texts( of(different(genres—the$significant$features”$(Kay$&$Dudley!Evans,'1998,'p.'309).'What'results'is'a" critical" exploration" of" various" genres," such" as" procedural" texts," information" reports," and"narrative( stories,( wherein( students( learn( how( language( works( through( genre!specific'conventions,* empowering* students* to* identify( features( and( adapt( them( to( their( needs.( The(genre% approach% also% follows% a% “curriculum% cycle,”% which% provides% “a% context% for% language%
exploration+ while+ [students+ use]+ language+ for+ real+ purposes+ in+ a+ variety+ of+ curriculum+ areas”+(Derewianka,+1990,+p."6)."The"cycle"features" multiple" steps"to"help"students"critically"engage"with% different% stages% of% identifying% and% creating% genre% texts,% including% modeling,% joint%
construction,*and*independent*construction.*!
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The$ stage$ of$ the$ curriculum$ cycle$ called$ joint! construction) involves) students) writing) a) text)
collaboratively,with,a"small%group%of%peers%or%as%the%entire%class."During"this"stage,"writers"may"need$scaffolding,$modeling,$guidance,$and$assessment$from$the$teacher$(Derewianka,$1990,$p.$8).$This$is$when$digital&tools&such&as&collaborative&cloud!based&Google&Docs&significantly&aid&in&
the$joint$construction$process$for$students$and$teachers$alike.!
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PREPARING(A(GOOGLE(DOC(FOR(JOINT(CONSTRUCTION!
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What%follows%is%a%specific%procedure%for%creating,%preparing,%sharing,'and'using'a'Google'Doc'
during' the' joint' construction' phase' of' a' genre' cycle.' It' can' be' adapted' depending' on' the$teacher’s!needs.""!
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The$example$scenario$is$a$class$of$21$students$who$are$learning$how$to$produce$recount$texts,"
which%involve!retelling#a# personal#experience#by# orienting# the#audience,# describing# events# in#chronological* order,* and* reflecting* on* lessons* learned* after* the* experience.* In* this* example*
scenario,*once*the*genre*cycle*reaches*the*stage*of*joint*construction,*the*teacher*can*separate&
the$class$into$seven$groups$of$three.!
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To#prepare#for#the#joint#construction,#the#teacher#creates#a#Google#Doc.#The#first#section#of#this#document)should)serve)as)a)resource)for)the)entire)class)and)feature)instructions)and)models)
for$ the$ groups$ to$ follow.& This& information& section& instructs& each& group& to& role!play! a"
manufactured+experience+from+the+past+and+then+create+a"paragraph"detailing"one"event"from"the$experience."For"example,"the"teacher"may"instruct"the"groups"to"imagine"that"they"studied"4.	  Using	  Collaborative	  Google	  Docs	  for	  Joint	  Construction	  in	  Genre	  Process	  Writing.	  Matthew	  Miner.	  Pages	  18-­‐20.	  Literacies	  &	  Language	  Education:	  Research	  &	  Practice,	  2020	  Special	  Section:	  Teaching	  During	  a	  Pandemic.	  English	  Language	  Institute,	  KUIS.

abroad&in&Canada;&the&task&for&each&group&is&to&write&a&paragraph&about&one&event&during&their&stay,&such&as&meeting&their&host&family&at&the&airport&or&visiting&a&local&high&school.&With&these!
instructions,*the*teacher*can*scaffold*the$writing!process!by#listing#and#describing#the#parts#of#
an#event#paragraph:#a# topic# sentence,#supporting#sentences,# and#a# concluding# sentence.#The#
teacher'can'then'type'or'paste'an'example'event%paragraph%into%the%Google%Doc%to#provide#a#model."!
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With%the%information%section%complete,%the%teacher%should%then%create%a%main%template%for%the%groups' to' use,' then' clone' it' seven' times' within' the' single' Google' Doc,' not! create& separate&Google&Docs&for&each&group.&The&group&sections&in&the&document&should&be&clearly&delineated&
with%headers%such%as%“Group%1”%and,%if%desired,%different%colored%texts%or%fields%for%each%group.%
Using&the&“Insert&/Table”&feature&of&Google&Docs,!the$teacher$can$create$text$fields$to$indicate$
where%students%should%type.%!
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Once%the%document!has$been$prepared,$it$can$be$shared$with$the$students.$This$can$be$done$
through'the'“Sharing”'options'in!Google&Docs&by&pasting&in&the&class&email&list&and&setting&the&permissions)to)“edit.”)The)file)can)also)be)distributed)via)Google)Classroom)as)an)“Assignment”)
with%the%option%“Students%can%edit%file”%toggled%(not!set$to$“make$a$copy$for$each$student).!
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Now$ that$ all$ students$ have$ access$ to$ one$ shared$ Google$ Doc,$ they$ can$ edit$ the$ file$synchronously*and*in*real*time,*and*their*changes*are*reflected*and*saved*instantaneously.*!
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The$ benefit$ of$ students$ collaborating$ in$ this$ class$ document$ versus$ in$ seven$ separate% group%
files&is&detailed&in&the&following&section.!
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THE$BENEFITS$OF$A$COLLABORATIVE$GOOGLE$DOC!
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1.#Synchronous#Co!Authorship*Ensures*Efficient*Group!Work!
If# students# are# expected# to# write# collaboratively# during# joint# construction# in# order# to# draft# a"complete( document,(traditional( paper( formats( and( non!collaborative+digital+ documents+ limit+
production*efficiency*as*the*document*can*only*feasibly*be*edited*by*one*participant*at*a*time.*
This%issue%is%remedied%in%the%shared%Google%Doc%as%multiple%users%can#type#at#any#given#point#
and$ time,$ even$ simultaneously.$ This$ means$ that$ students$ can$ discuss$ and$ delegate$ writing$assignments)beforehand)(using)the)Google)Docs)built)in)chat)feature)or)a)secondary)medium)
such%as%Zoom)%and%then%each%member%can%begin%writing#immediately#without#taking#turns.#To#
mitigate' the' confusion' of' multiple' users' typing' at' the' same' time' and' in' the' same' space,'
Google&Docs&assigns&each&user&a&differently&colored&cursor&so&that&writers&can&quickly&identify&
which% is% theirs% and% what% they% are" typing." Additionally," as" the" collaborative" document" is"synchronous)and)cloud!based,'changes'are'instantaneous'and'saved'automatically,'so'there'is'no#need#to#switch#between#active#writers#or#virtually#“pass”#the#document#back#and#forth#after#updates.)A)collaborative*Google*Doc*thus*reduces*downtime*and$promotes$active$participation$
from%all%group%members%throughout%the%process%of%joint%construction.!
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2.#A#Class!Wide%Collaborative%Document%Allows%for%Live%Peer%Reading%Opportunities!

A"single,"collaborative%Google%Doc%shared%with%the%class%grants%all%participants%real!time%access%to# the# working# processes# of# all# their# classmates.# In# addition# to# having# access# to# their#
immediate' task,' students' can' see' the' workflow' of' other' groups.' This' aids' tremendously' in'cases%of%mixed!tier%classes%or%groups%with%less%confident%members%as%they%can,%at%any%stage%of%
their& joint& construction& process,& simply& scroll& up& or& down& to& analyze& what& other& groups& are&writing.( In( this( way,( groups( or( individuals( can( assess( if( they( are( using$ genre$ conventions$correctly,)if)they)are)missing)key)components)(such)as)a)topic)sentence),)or)if)their)paragraph)formatting* is* accurate.* Groups* can* also* gain* or* share* inspiration* regarding* content,*grammatical)patterns,)vocabulary)choices,)and)so)on.)Finally,(the(class(can(holistically(level(out(a"comfortable"writing"pace"for"all"groups:"for"example,"one"team"may"rush"to"finish"and"scroll"
down%only%to%find%that%the%others%are%still%working%on%supporting%sentences,%thus%realizing%that%
they% need% more% detail$ in$ their$ paragraph;$ likewise,$ a$ group$ who$ has$ spent$ significant$ time$planning' or' chatting' may' notice' that' they' are' being' outpaced' by' their' peers' and' therefore'
begin&the&writing&process.&Having&the&class&work&together,&passively&assisting&each&other,&is!one$
benefit'of'a'shared'Google'Doc.!
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3.#Teachers#Have#Immediate#Access#to#All#Group!Work!and$Can$Give$Impromptu$Feedback$$!
Because' the'assignment' template' was' duplicated' seven' times' in' the' same' document' rather'
than%made%into%separate%assignment%handouts,%the%teacher%can%access%all%jointly%constructed%
texts% within% one% document% instantly.% Additionally,% because% the% changes% are% reflected' in' real'time,& the&teacher&can&analyze&group&work&as& it& is& being&constructed,& watching& for&issues& that&can$be$quickly$addressed$via$chat$or$Zoom,$therefore$engaging$with$students$at$the$stage$of$
error$ creation$ so$ that$ they$ can$ identify,$ correct,$ and! understand) mistakes) in) the) moment)
rather&than&after&completion.&Shared&Google&Docs,&then,&become&an&essential&teacher&tool&for&observation+and+formative+assessment.+!
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SUMMARY!
With%the%likelihood%of%online%learning%growing%in%popularity%and/or%necessity,%teachers'hoping'to# involve# students# with# collaborative# writing# projects,# whether# as# part# of# a# genre# cycle# or#
simply'to'foster'cooperation'and'communication'between'peer'learners,'may'find'creative'and'engaging& ways& to& adapt& shareable& cloud!based& media& such& as# Google# Docs# to# their# course#curricula.(!
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REFERENCES!
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Derewianka,* B.* (1990).* A* functional) approach' to' language.' In' Primary' English' Teaching'Association)(Ed.).!Exploring*how*texts*work!(pp.$3!9).$Primary'English'Teaching'Association.!
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Kay,%H.%&%Dudley!Evans,'T.'(1998).'Genre:'What'teachers'think.'ELT$journal,!52(4),%308!314.!