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Unit 8 Critical Reading and Peer Review

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11 views

Unit 8 Critical Reading and Peer Review

Uploaded by

alimkhan.ergebayev
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Unit 8

Critical Reading and Peer Review

Drafting is an essential aspect of the writing process, but transforming a draft into a
stronger text is even more crucial. In this unit, we will focus on the peer review
process. Working in pairs with a classmate, you will provide feedback on each
other's work and receive feedback on your own. The feedback you receive will help
you identify areas for improvement in your essay, and offering feedback to your
partner will enhance your skills as a critical and thoughtful reader. This, in turn, will
greatly contribute to your growth as a writer. The online module for this week will
also cover reading from a different perspective. During class, we will engage in peer
review discussions. Prior to class, you can prepare by reading your partner's work
and making notes of any comments you have. After class, you will organise and
provide your notes to your partner. By the end of this unit, you will have:

 explored the process and purpose of peer review;


 engaged in face-to-face peer feedback sessions;
 completed and received written peer feedback.

Activity 1: Brainstorming
Q.1 In your opinion, what is peer feedback?

Q.2 Share your ideas with your partner/group. Note down any new opinions.

Activity 2: Academic writing: feedback and peer review video


Watch the video and answer the questions below:

Q.1 What is peer review?

Q.2 What are the trickiest parts of writing?

Q.3 What are some benefits of peer review?

Q.4 What should you do when you receive the feedback?

Q.5 What is the best thing about peer review?

Q.6 What is one of the most effective ways of learning?


Activity 3: Video about commenting strategies
Watch the following video about Feedback Commenting Strategies, answer the
question, finish the quote, and list the strategies.

1. What are the two roles of the peer review process?

a. ____________ submits a paper for review.

b. ____________ reads the paper and provides comments.

2. Finish Kenneth Bruffee’s quote:

“In peer criticism, students learn ____________________.”

3. List the 7 strategies mentioned in the video.

Optional activity: An example of the peer review process


Watch this video and notice how one student gives more effective feedback than
the other:

 YouTube: A peer response demonstration


Activity 4: Providing Written Feedback
You will now have the opportunity to apply the strategies discussed in the video to
review your peer's essay critically. It is important to refer to the rubric for the
argumentative essay, which can be found on Canvas, and assess how well the essay
meets the criteria outlined in the rubric. Your teacher may organise this activity
online using Google Docs or Microsoft Word, or you may use pen and paper. If using
an online platform, you will need to utilise the comment/review feature. Here are
two external resources to help you with that:

 Google Docs Help Center: Use comments, action items, & emoji reactions
 Microsoft Support: Using Modern Comments

If you cannot finish this peer review process in class, you will have to continue
outside class time. Failure to participate in this activity in a meaningful
manner will incur a penalty on your participation score.

Peer Discussion Guidelines


To ensure a productive peer discussion, here are some guidelines to follow:

Time management. Be mindful of the time allocated for each discussion/ review
slot. Your instructor will provide guidance on when to focus on specific areas,
helping you stay on track.

Prioritisation. We encourage students to initially focus on global issues to


prioritize aspects such as structure, content, the relationship among ideas, and
more abstract and subjective matters. Once these global issues are addressed, you
can then provide feedback on word choice, spelling, and other mechanical matters
in your partner's draft.

Honesty. Peer review is only valuable if it goes beyond mere praise. By offering
constructive criticism, you demonstrate respect for your partner as both a person
and a writer. Failing to provide any feedback or offering generic comments
undermines the purpose of the peer review process.

Politeness. Being critical does not mean being cruel. Remember that your
classmate is in the same situation as you are, and be considerate of their feelings
while providing feedback.

Specificity. Effective constructive criticism provides the best guidance for your
partner. Offer your advice directly and with clarity to help them improve. General
and vague comments, whether positive or negative, are challenging to address.
Instead, provide specific examples and make precise claims to offer more helpful
guidance for revision.

Active listening. Engage in meaningful conversations with your classmates. Listen


attentively to understand their goals and offer advice that supports their objectives.
Check for understanding. To ensure comprehension, rephrase what your partner
tells you to confirm your understanding. You can use phrases like "What I hear you
saying is that..."

Highlight the positive. In order to revise effectively, your partner needs to know
what aspects of their work are successful and what areas can be improved. Provide
feedback on both strengths and areas for improvement.

Activity 5: Peer review checklist

Q.1 Read your essay as a whole again. Use the checklist below to make sure you
have covered all crucial items.

Peer review checklist


 Does the essay make a clear argument?
 Does it have a clearly identifiable thesis?
 Does it provide effective support for the argument advanced?
 Is the organisational structure clear and effective?
 Is the relationship among ideas clear?
 Is the essay organised into paragraphs?
 Does each paragraph have a clear focus?
 Are the paragraphs coherent (i.e., sensible decisions about what to include in
each paragraph)?
 Does the essay use academic/scholarly sources?
 Does it signal transparently how those sources have been used?
 Is it clear how the ideas in the text relate to each other?
 Is the right amount and type of signposting used to help show how ideas
relate to each other?
 Does it adhere to the academic register?
 Is there a good range of vocabulary (as opposed to sticking to safe, simple
words)?
 Is sophisticated vocabulary used effectively?
 Is there a good range of grammatical structures (as opposed to sticking to
the safe basics)?
 Are complex structures (if any) used effectively?
 Is the text free of grammatical errors?
 Are words used accurately?
 Is the choice of words and structures appropriate?
 Is spelling accurate?
 Is punctuation accurate?
 Is the paper generally tidy?
 Are in-text citations in APA style?
 Is the reference list in APA style?
 Are the title, heading, etc. in APA style?
 Is the text within the length limits?
 Is the essay too wordy (i.e., repeating ideas unnecessarily)?
Activity 6: Writing a summary paragraph
Q1: Write a summary paragraph indicating the key points of your feedback, with a
few questions that you wish to ask your partner.

Activity 7: Responding to your peer’s feedback


Your partner has provided valuable feedback, and now it's your turn to decide how
to respond to it. Remember, you are the writer, and ultimately, you have the
authority to make decisions about your text. You are not obligated to implement
every change suggested by your partner. However, it is important to carefully
review your partner's feedback. Even if you choose not to adopt a specific change,
consider that other readers might encounter the same issue if your partner had
difficulty with a certain aspect of your essay. Don't hesitate to ask your partner if
you need clarification on any of the comments. Incorporate the parts of the
feedback that you find helpful into your essay revision process.

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