The Benefits Of Peer-Reviewing Coursework Assignments

What are the benefits of incorporating peer review into coursework by devoting class time to enhancing students’ writing skills?

• Peer review fosters students’ interest in writing and helps them recognize the link between their writing and coursework, which undergraduate students can neglect. This practice compels students to participate in writing actively and promotes the self-awareness that leads to developing critical thinking abilities. Consequently, students cultivate a habit of reflection and inquiry, which helps them to evaluate their work, beliefs, and engagement rather than just producing satisfactory responses to given tasks. Ultimately, peer review helps students become proficient writers and thinkers.
• Enabling cooperative writing through peer review enables students to learn from their peers and analyze the importance of writing within the framework of the course. This approach aids in clarifying the objectives of the assignment. By evaluating whether their coursework writing aligns with the assignment criteria, students are compelled to concentrate on the objectives rather than being solely preoccupied with grammar and syntax or their apprehension.
• Research indicates that proficient writers can also derive advantages from peer review. According to students, they acquire an equal or greater amount of knowledge from identifying and expressing flaws in their peers’ writing, as they do from integrating their peers’ input into their work.
• Peer review offers students access to current writing models specifically for their discipline. Since students generally hone their writing abilities in English classes, especially in high school, their criteria for defining “good writing” might be overly vague or unsuitable for the specific course they are enrolled in. By conducting peer review, students can have a common platform to explore writing techniques applicable to their field of study.
• Through peer review, students can enhance the comprehension of their ideas by expressing them to their peers and developing queries related to their coursework writing. This aspect of peer review can be advantageous to writers of all aptitude levels in any course and at any point during the writing process.
• Peer review allows students to acquire professional experience in assessing their writing. This process imitates how professionals publish their work in their respective fields and how managers and colleagues give feedback in a work setting, and it’s a valuable skill with practical applications.
• Finally, peer review can reduce the need for last-minute drafting and potentially decrease the occurrence of typical lower-level writing mistakes.

Author Bio:  Mark Edmonds is an accomplished academic research writer at Academic Assignments, a company that specializes in providing high-quality coursework help to students. With a passion for writing, Mark has gained extensive experience in assignment writing services, having helped numerous students achieve academic success through his excellent writing skills. His knowledge and expertise in writing have made him a valuable asset to the Academic Assignments team, where he continues to provide top-notch coursework assistance to students in need.

References:

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Cho, K., Schunn, C. D., & Wilson, R. W. (2006). Validity and reliability of scaffolded peer assessment of writing from instructor and student perspectives. Educational Assessment, 11(3-4), 141-170.

Ferris, D. R., & Roberts, B. (2001). Error feedback in L2 writing classes: How explicit does it need to be? Journal of Second Language Writing, 10(3), 161-184.

Hacker, D., Keener, M., & Kirchner, D. (2009). Peer response in the writing classroom: A comparison of the effects of computer-mediated and face-to-face feedback. Journal of Second Language Writing, 18(4), 251-266.

Hu, G., & Lei, J. (2015). Peer feedback in second language writing: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 14, 47-65.

Robinson, M. L. (1991). Effective peer review in the composition classroom. Journal of Second Language Writing, 1(1), 69-81.

Shi, L., & Sadler, R. W. (2018). The efficacy of peer review in enhancing feedback: Focus on second language writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 40, 35-50.