Collaborative learning approach to university academic writing: creating a research article

the article considers the possibility of using the collaborative learning approach for developing academic writing competencies of university students stipulated by the Russian federal state educational standards for bachelor degree programmes (FSES 3++). The paper presents the results of the experimental academic writing course based on the contextual approach and aimed at creating an English-language research articles by the teams of bachelors at Petrozavodsk State University. The paper describes a model of collaborative academic writing learning, which includes four stages: preparation, organization, production, and reflection. The author presents positive results obtained by the students’ writing teams at each of the four stages - from independent work planning to writing an English-language article and post-writing self-assessment. It is emphasized that all the main tasks connected with organizing and coordinating work processes, group management, intergroup communication, and presenting the final versions of the articles were completed by the students on their own, with minimal teacher’s intervention. While creating their articles, students faced significant difficulties with finding and selecting sources, as well as with writing a literature review. However, they eventually managed to meet the deadline and submit full articles containing all the necessary structural elements and designed in accordance with the selected requirements. The author makes the conclusion that collaborative learning seems to be a very promising approach to teaching academic writing, mainly due to its real-life professional focus and student-centeredness.