by Betty Bourquein

Created on: June 20, 2009   Last Updated: June 28, 2009

Using peer critiques and peer editing are an important part of the writing process. They have value for both the author and the editor and help the teacher better work with individuals on their submissions for final grading.

To use peer critiques productively, the teacher facilitator must first convey the importance of the critique process. The educator does this through both verbal and written instruction. While prefacing the requirements for the peer critiques, the teacher should explain that this activity is to be taken seriously, that the student evaluator should not reveal his/her name so as the critique can be more meaningful, and that his/her critique will be reviewed by the teacher after the student makes an evaluation of the author's work. Obviously the author of the paper should not be present in any of the peer editing groups. An excellent way to avoid this is to have different class periods or even different age levels do the evaluations, i.e., seniors evaluating freshmen papers and visa versa.

Thereafter, a worksheet of what is expected in the review should be distributed. Different classroom standards should be addressed. Differentiated sections for specific applications of grammar, punctuation, spelling, organization, and ideas might be included. The class will have been taught beforehand the standards for what will be critiqued. Thus everyone in the classroom is aware of expectations. Following this then the students should be guided to write written comments under each item. Students should be encouraged to write full sentences. Short comments such as well done or good idea are not acceptable. The student must explain why the author's work was well done or includes good ideas. Also, the student could be encouraged to offer suggestions for improvement.

Those who are doing the critiques should be given a minimum of two papers to evaluate and then rank. At the conclusion of the teacher-guided evaluation, the student should then exchange papers with another student who has done two different papers. The process should then be repeated a second time with a minimum of two papers being critiqued. Again, student comments and suggestions should be written on an evaluation sheet and the papers being evaluated should be ranked.

When each partner has evaluated a minimum of two papers, then he/she should be partnered with the other student evaluator to discuss his comments, suggestions for improvement, and why the papers were ranked as

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