Using Student Peer Review

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Back to Helping Students Make Effective Comments

As you model how to give effective commentary in peer review, remind students of the following points:

• Always point out strengths as well as elements that need more work.
• Try to attend to larger issues first (audience, purpose, organization, detail, etc.). Talk about sentences, word choices, punctuation only late in the peer-review process.
• Be specific. Point to particular places in the paper where revision will be helpful.
• Don't hesitate to respond as a reader, especially early in the review process, for example,
  • I got confused here.
  • I saw your point clearly here.
  • I was convinced by your example or analogy or argument.
• If you disagree with the comments of another peer reviewer, say so. Not all readers react the same ways, and divergent points of view can help writers see options for revising.
• Make comments in spirit of helpfulness. Take comments in spirit of helpfulness.