supporting scholarly exchange about communication across the curriculum
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What kinds of writing can I include? What is writing in the disciplines? Do I have to be an expert in grammar? Do writing and peer review take up too much class time? How can I avoid getting lousy student papers? What makes a good writing assignment? How can I get the most out of peer-review? Why consider collaborative writing assignments? What writing resources are available for my students? What teaching resources are available?
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An Introduction to WAC Require peer reviewSeveral side-effects result from requiring peer review. First, by setting the peer-review deadline at least one week before the paper due date, students spend more time thinking about and revising their papers. Not all students will have complete drafts at the peer-review session, but far fewer students will put off any work on the paper until the night before it's due.Second, requiring peer review guarantees that at least one other person has read through the paper. Granted, students can ignore all the advice peer reviewers give them, but most will ask for yet another opinion if a peer reviewer says that the paper is completely off track or incomprehensible. Third, but not least important, when students read each other's papers, they get yet another chance to see a different approach to the assignment and to think through the key criteria for the paper. Often a question on a peer review worksheet will trigger new thinking about a student's own paper after commenting on that point on the peer's paper. |
