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Edutopoia
A Framework for Teaching Students How to Peer Edit
Giving meaningful feedback on a peer’s work doesn’t come naturally to
students. Try these tips to help students hone their editing skills.
By Benjamin Barbour
April 17, 2020
Too often, asking students to edit each other’s writing results in
superficial commentary. Many students are uncertain about how to
provide meaningful feedback on a peer’s work.
One way to make peer review more effective is by scaffolding it, or
breaking down the practice into several classes where students critique
each other’s work in a more focused, incremental manner. Scaffolding
allows students to identify and address a single type of error in an
allotted time period. While it is a valuable process for all students,
it is especially useful for English-language learners and
learning-support students, who benefit from breaking tasks and
information into more manageable components.
DECONSTRUCT CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
Students need to learn how to give and receive criticism in a
productive and respectful manner. Before embarking on a class-wide peer
review activity, teachers might underscore the importance of responses
that are forthright and civil. Mastering the art of giving valuable
feedback that doesn’t offend will benefit students in nearly every
professional and personal relationship they maintain.
Start by breaking down the two words: constructive and criticism. What
do these words mean by themselves? What synonyms might apply to each
word? Ask students to think of examples of ways they might offer
constructive criticism on a peer’s writing. They can be as simple as
“Remember to capitalize proper nouns” or “Restate your thesis in your
final paragraph.” Underscore to students that the criticism must be
specific and helpful. “Good job!” doesn’t suffice. Write their
responses on one or two poster boards, and place them where students
can see them and refer back to them throughout the process.
Provide samples of criticism for students to emulate. You may want to
advise learners to attach positive feedback with constructive
criticism. For example, “Your hook poses a good question, but it
contains several grammar errors” or “You inserted this quotation
correctly.”
As there is no definitive guide to constructive criticism, teachers and
students are encouraged to discuss what constitutes responsible
feedback to find a definition and standards that best suit the class.
SET CLEAR PLANS
In the same way that instruction often demands that educators create
the assessment first, teachers should prepare for the peer review at
the beginning of any writing assignment. A scaffolded peer review can
be time-consuming, so consider the length of the writing assignment to
be assessed when making a determination about the class time required.
Before assigning writing, consider what writing skills you want your
students to learn, review, or practice. The objectives will vary by
class, and they should be articulated to students from the outset. Some
teachers may have the class focus on writing an effective thesis,
incorporating quotations, or adding in-text citations. In other
classes, the objective may be reviewing capitalization or comma usage.
Identify the skills that students are expected to practice writing and
finding in each other’s papers.
FACILITATE THE PROCESS
Scaffolding the peer review provides an opportunity for students to
read a piece multiple times to assess different elements of writing.
First the class reviews the objective as a whole group. Then peer pairs
review their individual writing with a focus on the defined learning
objective.
Some students may be reluctant to criticize peers’ work. Consider
choosing peer-review partners instead of letting the students pick.
This might cut down on students’ being fearful of offending their
friends. Also, if the debrief period is generating little discussion,
ask students to debrief with their partners as opposed to in front of
the class. Give students a set of debrief prompts to focus their
discussion, such as “Discuss the corrections you made.”
Encourage students to refer to the posters regarding constructive
criticism examples, especially if someone has given an impolite
criticism.
DEBRIEF AS A CLASS
After the pair reviews, debrief by discussing the findings as a class.
The debrief can be an open-ended session in which the teacher
encourages students to ask questions and voice misunderstandings about
both writing and critiquing. The debrief can also be more structured
and incorporate specific questions, such as “What is a challenge an
editor or peer reviewer might face?” or “What is one element of your
writing you wish to improve upon?” The debrief can also take the form
of a small writing assignment, such as a reflective paragraph on the
peer review process in which students summarize what they have learned
as an editor and proofreader.
We want our students to be proficient writers and thinkers. Reviewing a
peer’s work can help young people better understand the often difficult
process of writing by challenging them to adopt a dynamic new role as
critic.
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