'Things living in the cyber-universe': facilitating peer workshopping in the online creative non-fiction classroom

Abstract

The writing workshop is a core pedagogical practice in the creative writing discipline in higher education and has significant researched benefits to students. As higher education moves increasingly online – a trend that is arguably escalated in response to the impact of COVID-19 – important questions are raised about if, and how, the writing workshop can be delivered online. This paper uses a literature review combined with analysis of small sample of anonymous student feedback about their experiences in one creative non-fiction subject where workshopping was an assessed learning activity. The authors argue that the benefits of face-to-face workshopping can be translated online, and that students may experience higher quality feedback and increased flexibility in participation. However, these benefits are complicated by the increased workload for students and instructors, challenges with digital literacy and unbounded timelines. The paper offers several recommendations for writing instructors facilitating peer workshopping online.