Peer Review: Establishing an Effective Practice

A Collaborative Project by Andrea Dennin, Richard Ellman, Melissa Jones, Angela Tartaglia and Erin Trauth

University of South Florida FYC Program

Description: Our group sees the value in an effective peer review, as we have learned that many of our students learn best from one another. We do, however, feel as though the FYC program's peer review guidelines are not currently set as a one-size-fits-all activity; we need some variation in this learning method to make it work best for an instructor's individual classes. In this spirit, our group has added a variety of choices and theories regarding peer review to the FYC instructor page. We have added new forms of peer review, the methodology behind many of these forms, new rubrics for take-home and in-class peer reviews, and a survey of popular methods used at universities around the country. We hope to offer some alternatives for our own peers in their quest to hold effective peer reviews in their classrooms.

A Brief Survey of Peer Review Theories

The following is a brief outline that attempts to provide instructors with a theoretical understanding of peer response/review. Peer response employs process pedagogy to enable students to develop critical thinking, writing, and researching skills. Instructors should understand that this heuristic method requires individual modifications, as classes are unique.

Peer Review Theory

Survey of Other Peer Methods

This survey of differing peer review methods reveals how other colleges struggle with the same concerns and questions that we, as instructors,have concerning how to best teach our students to participate in peer review. These six examples barely skim the surface of the many universities around the world experimenting with different techniques, but it is a start. You will find that most have a common theme, in step with USF FYC's emphasis... Internet experimentation.

Peer Reviews-A Quick Look at other Colleges

Response-Directed Peer Review

This peer review activity gives students the opportunity to anonymously review each others' papers, allowing for more honest feedback. Additionally, students will learn how to articulate their own peer review goals more effectively. This activity is not meant to replace traditional peer review; instead it is geared both towards providing a variety in feedback experience to students and enhancing communication skills in future peer reviews.

Anonymous Peer Review Project

Detailed Peer Review Rubric & An Effective Peer Review Activity

The following link contains a simplified rubric which will allow our students to provide detailed and constructive feedback. The rubric has been simplified to be more intiuitive, containing just enough categories to allow our students to think critically and rhetorically about the peer's paper; thus, it has been excised of any superflous, vague, or confusing categories which would impede effective student response. We hope that students will find this rubric a delicate balance between the simplisitic and analytical modes.

This file also contains a suggested activity to follow-up peer review, which, in our opinion, has trained our students focus for an active reading of peers' papers.

Peer Review Worksheet.doc

"Keepin' It Real: Writing Effective Comments In Peer Review" Power Point Presentation

The following link contains a Power Point presentation created with the goal of instructing FYC students in how to write an effective comment for peer review. The presentation includes slides on the importance of writing effective comments, a description and examples of the three typical peer review responses, and class activities to facilitate discussion of what makes an effective comment in peer review. After seeing one too many "I liked it" comments scrawled by a student on a peer review rubric, we hope that this simple, directive presentation will help our students become more effective, active peer reviewers - ultimatley leading to better writing from our students.

ERIN POWER POINT.ppt