Written Communication Toolkit

Peer review

Devote at least one tutorial to peer review. Ask students to bring their 'work in progress' and in pairs or small groups, read their peers' draft work and give constructive feedback on:

• its 'understandability';
• its structure;
• its logic and flow;
• its style (including paragraph and sentence construction, use of words, tone, consideration of the reader, etc.); and
• its alignment with assignment criteria.

Benefits of peer review to students
Opportunities to improve drafts before it's too late	The questions and comments from peers can prod a writer to deepen their approach to a subject.
Practice in reading for revision	Talking constructively within the peer group about writing can strengthen students independent ability to read for revision.
Enhanced communication skills	Talking with peers about their work can strengthen students' ability to articulate specific reactions and suggestions, requiring a tricky balance of tact and clarity.
Increased confidence	Students frequently believe classmates' writing is much better than their own writing. When they see their peers' first drafts they see it is safe to loosen up and take risks in developing ideas. They feel more confident in submitting their assignment for assessment.

Benefits of peer review to lecturers and tutors
Better writing and more time	Students will all have been through one round of guided response leaving the instructor free to address higher-order issues such as idea development and direction.
High levels of student engagement	Whether the workshops last five minutes or fifty, excitement is generated by peer activity. Students hold each other accountable and therefore invest more in their writing.
High evaluation ratings	Students recognise the value of effectively conducted peer workshops.

Creating Effective Peer-Response Workshops. University of Minnesota. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 23 October, 2006 http://writing.umn.edu/tww/responding_grading/peer_workshop.htm

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