Tools for Peer Review with Student Writing

A. "Using Peer Review to Improve Student Writing" (webpage; pdf) "describes general considerations that can help improve the quality of the feedback students offer one another before describing several strategies for managing peer review" and provides useful tools for facilitating this process.

• Each topic and strategy is developed fully in the text.

• Links to related pdf resources are provided.

B. Topics Covered in the Text

1. "General Considerations"

• "Clarity of Purpose"

• "How to Structure Peer Review"

• "Small-Group Workshops"

• "Full-Class Workshops"

• "When to Schedule Peer Review"

• "Pacing"
  • Supplement 1: “Exercises for After Workshop” (pdf)

• "Make It Count"

2. "In Practice"

a. "Creating an Environment for Useful Feedback"

• "Additive Comments"

• "Reader Response"

• "Effective Criticism"

b. "Strategies for Peer Review: Comments Prepared Before Class"

• General resources
  • Supplement 2: “Guidelines for Small Group Workshop” (pdf)
  • Supplement 2b: “Guidelines for Small Group Workshops Including Multilingual Students” (pdf)

• "Comment Letters"
  • Supplement 3: “How to Write A Peer Critique” (pdf)

• "Overview and Marginal Comments"
  • Supplement 4: “Structured Commenting Protocol” (pdf)

• "Commenting Forms"
  • Supplement 5: “Peer Critiques Handout” (pdf)

c. "Strategies for Peer Review: Comments Prepared During Class"

• "Commenting Forms"
  • See an example in Supplement 5: “Peer Critiques Handout” (pdf)

• "Self-Evaluation"

• "'Speed' Peer Review"

d. "Strategies for Full-Class Workshops"

• "Facilitating a Full-Class Workshop on a Model Essay"
  • Supplement 6: “Student Guidelines for Full-Class Workshop” (pdf)
  • Supplement 7: “Instructor Guidelines for Facilitating Full-Class Workshops” (pdf)

• "Workshopping All Students in Full-Class Workshops"
  • Supplement 6: “Student Guidelines for Full Class Workshop” (pdf)
  • Supplement 7: “Instructor Guidelines for Facilitating Full-Class Workshops” (pdf)

• "Using the 'Process for Critical Response' Method"
  • Supplement 8: “Guidelines for The Process for Critical Response” (pdf)

3. "Peer Review and Students’ Experiences"

• “I’m getting mixed messages.”
  • Metacognition – Cultivating Reflection (pdf)
  • Inserting Self-Reflective Comments in Essays Drafts (pdf)

• “Who am I to judge?”

• “The peers who read my paper never give me helpful feedback.”

4. "Evaluating Peer Review as an Instructor"

• Supplement 9: “Grading Criteria for Peer Critiques” (pdf)

• Supplement 9b: “Grading Criteria for Peer Critiques of L2 and L1 Writers” (pdf)