An Introduction to WAC

How can I get the most out of peer-review?

Peer-review workshops serve many useful functions for student writers, most notably:

• They provide writers with real readers who must make sense of the writing.
• They help writers improve their reading/critical analysis skills.
• They, most obviously, help writers improve their writing skills and final products.

In this section, we discuss eight principles that can help you get the most out of peer review.

• Specify tasks for the peer review
• Consider sequencing the peer-review tasks in multiple workshops
• Model how to use the workshop sheet or criteria list before peer review
• Model effective commenting
• Model how to handle divergent advice
• Think about logistics
• Provide adequate time for students to conduct thorough peer review
• Build in incentives for students to contribute helpful commentary to others and to ponder the commentary they receive
• Resource: Sample workshop sheets
• Other sites on the Internet