Abstract: | Abstract Inviting students to take an active role in planning writing assignments and developing grading criteria opens the lines of communication between instructors and students, leading to a nurturing collaborative learning environment. This article explores the stages of the writing assignment and offers suggestions for making each step purposeful and successful. Student feedback allows instructors to improve the course and instructor guidance allows students to improve their coursework. Although it does take time and effort, a collaborative atmosphere provides support to both groups so that common goals can be met. |