Group Writing Exercise: What I Learned

This group-writing exercise proved to be very helpful for a number of reasons. First, the arrangement of the groups worked very well. Because there was (or was supposed to be) a member of the group who participated in my own experiment as well as two other people unfamiliar with the project, different perspectives offered different criticisms. Also, I learned that reading others’ papers can help me see what I want to or do not want to incorporate in my own paper. We were reading the papers to offer constructive criticism, but in the process, we were able to see strong sections of each other’s writing as well. I also got practice in how to give criticism in a positive way and receive criticism politely and without defense. As an author, the group-writing exercise greatly helps to put the finishing touches on my paper. As a reviewer, the exercise opens my eyes to others’ writing techniques and general ideas as well as my own abilities to look at others’ work with a critical eye.