Review the course to select assignments that will include a peer review before the semester begins. The assignment can be up to five pages long. Each session can be completed in an hour to an hour and a half.
Write or select a short sample assignment to present during a practice peer-review session. A mock run-through helps students to understand and practice the skills needed for a peer review before they are asked to analyze each other’s work.
Schedule the first session early in the semester to help students get to know each other and build an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Use a short assignment of a few paragraphs to give students time to feel comfortable with sharing and receiving feedback.
Design worksheets that the students will fill out during each peer review session as a handout or develop an online form.The worksheets include guidance on how to complete the tasks required to finish the peer review session. Students should be able to use the worksheet to determine the appropriate amount of time for their comments in class.
Begin the peer review worksheet with the students making positive comments about the assignment. Then the reviewers can describe their feelings about the paper, such as the clarity of a point.
Ask students to perform the tasks on the worksheet, such as evaluating the most and least effective parts of the assignment and explaining the reasons for their conclusions. The worksheet could instruct students to identify a thesis, list the main points that support or prove the content, and show inconsistencies in sentence or paragraph structure or areas requiring clarification.