WHO TEACHES, LEARNS - WRITING GROUPS IN GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION

The ability to communicate is acknowledged by employers to be a valuab le attribute of a university graduate. That ability is also vital in f ulfilling geography discipline objectives of mutual understanding and emancipation Writing groups have been used in geography departments in Australia and the USA as a means of improving student skills in writt en communication as well as to stimulate positive attitudes to writing , intellectual growth and rhetorical skills. From the point of view of teachers, writing groups were employed to fulfill pedagogic objective s and to free up time for instructional improvements and other academi c business. This paper outlines the rationale for using writing groups in geography courses, means by which they might be applied, and their merits and shortcomings.