If it is true that "two heads are better than one," then three or more must be even better. In the case of peer reviewing, several eyes examining a student's paper often make for better essays.
What is a Peer Review?
A peer review is simply a class session (many times an English composition class) dedicated to students' reviewing each other's papers. Sometimes the instructor will have specific instructions for the review session (for example, a set of questions to answer or particular things to look for), but others will simply ask their students to read their fellow students' papers and give feedback.
If a student doesn't have specific instructions, he should simply try his best to give the kind of feedback he would like to receive.
Why Participate in Peer Reviews?
Peer reviewing is more common in classes (both high school and college) now than in the past. Many English classes utilize the concept of peer reviews for many reasons.
- All students are working on the same type of paper, so students should be familiar with what is expected of the assignment. It stands to reason that a student can give feedback just as an instructor can. However, an instructor-grading anywhere from 25 to 30 papers-cannot give feedback as quickly to a large group as several classmates can give to a student, but she can play referee and coach, walking around the room, answering questions.
- Students often learn just as much by giving as by getting feedback. For example, a student might be reading a peer's paper and realize that the transitions are clunky, making the essay hard to understand. He will likely then return to his own paper, looking for the same types of problems and having some ideas of how to fix them.
- Sometimes a peer's feedback is easier to understand than an instructor's. An instructor might tell a student she needs to fix a comma splice, while a peer might simply say to the writer, "You need to make this into two sentences."
How Does a Peer Review Work?
Again, each instructor will conduct peer reviews a little differently, but students should expect to do the following:
- Bring several copies of his essay to class.
- Read over one, two, or more essays and be expected to give feedback.
- The reviewer may have to give verbal or written feedback or both. He should be prepared to explain his comments.
To give the best feedback, a reviewer should do as follows:
- Be honest. Saying a paper is "great" might be an ego booster, but it isn't helpful to the writer if it's not true.
- Be sensitive. While the reviewer should be honest, she doesn't have to be scathing. If a person needs to explain a concept better, it's okay to say just that. The reviewer doesn't have to say "it's awful" to communicate that a paper needs work.
- Be respectful. The writer has worked just as hard on his paper as the reviewer has on hers.
- Be constructive. What type of comments will help the writer want to revise his paper? Global feedback-that is, looking at the "big picture" of the essay-is often more helpful than line-by-line editing.
- Answer general questions such as, "Is the thesis easy to identify?" "Was the essay confusing or easy to read?" "Was the paper well organized?"
Two Heads Really are Better Than One
A peer review might seem a little foreign to a student who has never undergone the process before. Some students don't feel positive about the process at first or hesitate because they are afraid of what their peers might think. However, most peer review sessions are constructive and helpful to students. The key is a positive attitude and a willingness to learn.
Related articles:
Sloppy Writing Indicates an Uncaring Writer
Getting Started on That Troublesome Essay
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