Peer Review Posting Commenting Information

What Peer Reviews Are: Peer reviews are designed for us to learn from one another and to receive help from our peers. When helping each other out, we become attuned to the shortcomings in our own writing. So as you help another, you’re really helping yourself. But before we get into the technical details, here are some key things to keep in mind. A few things for the reviewers to remember: Be respectful. If I feel that you are not adhering to this rule, then I will deduct participation points. Talk about the writing, not the person. Use “I” statements. This will help you from “attacking” the author. It shows that this is what YOU think, not necessarily what NEEDS to be done. Again, these are ROUGH drafts. The point of a rough draft is to receive help on a paper before it becomes that final draft. Don’t worry so much about technical errors here. A few things for the person being reviewed to remember: We are not “out to get” you. We are simply trying to help. During the initial discussion, please remain silent. Don’t post in defense of each person’s comment if you don’t agree with them. (See next point.) Simply disagree with them in your own personal space; there is no need to voice your dissension on the forum. Don’t feel like you have to do EVERYTHING we suggest. Ultimately, you are the author. You can pick and choose what you think is best. However, it’s important to note that if multiple people—a good rule of thumb is three—are saying the same thing, then you probably have a problem. But if it is just one person that points out a problem, it’s more likely to be a personal preference. Pick out those things that are most helpful. Don’t forget to thank those that have helped you. Lastly, if you feel as if someone’s comments were unnecessarily hurtful or mean, PLEASE bring it to my attention. I will be reading the comments, but something might strike me differently than it does you. No one should feel attacked or hurt by what is said. Direction for Posting Your Essays: Rough drafts MUST be posted by 11:59 p.m. on the Sunday BEFORE the workshop week. On the appropriate modules, you will find discussion forums for each of the essays. By the due date, you must post your rough draft to the appropriate forum. Do this by COPYING and PASTING your essay into the forum. Please do NOT attach your essay. This is just a rough draft. It does not have to be perfect—in fact, it doesn’t even have to be complete. Do your best. Get done what you can—even if it is only a few paragraphs and an outline for the rest of the essay. Simply give us an idea of what you’re trying to do. That being said, the more effort you put into your rough draft, the easier the final draft will be AND the more helpful your peer review will be. It’s hard to workshop an outline. Give us as much as you can, but don’t feel that it needs to be perfect. Again, this is just a rough draft. When you post your essay, feel free to ask specific questions at the end of your post. Ask if you want your peers to focus on the intro. Ask if you need help with transitions and organization. Basically, point us to the spots you KNOW are weak. As mentioned above though, don’t defend each post from your peers. If you disagree, simply leave it in your head and home. Don’t post it on the forum. Remember: We’re here to help. And if you don't agree with someone, you don't have to change your essay. It's up to you. Directions for Responding to the Essay: Due the Friday following the original post by 11:59 p.m. Again, remember that this is simply a rough draft. There will be errors. Don’t criticize someone for a mistake that will probably be cleared up by the final draft. Focus on the assignment as a whole. After reading your peers’ essays—hopefully more than once—and noting the specific questions the author may have, write a thoughtful response to at least THREE of the essays. I know there might be quite a few essays to read for a week, which is why you are only required to comment on THREE of the essays. Do your best to be as helpful as possible. By that, I'll be much more prone to give points for a thoughtful and specific response compared to a short, "I like it. Good job." Please note: Try to pay attention to the amount of comments an essay receives. If an essay already has five or six responses, find a posted essay further down the forum that may have only one or two-or no comments--and try to help that peer out. I'm counting on everyone to try and distribute the comments equally and fairly. For each peer review, I will provide some questions as starting points, but don’t feel that you must answer each question. Focus on any questions your peers may have asked, and after that, simply write how the essay is working: where are the strengths, the weaknesses, what works, what doesn’t, does everything line up with the thesis, are there rambling moments, etc. Also, you may respond to other group member’s comments: where you agree/disagree/etc. However, be sure that you focus the majority of your response on the essay at hand. Basically, make sure you’re putting in your two cents about the essay, not your two cents of others’ two cents. Of course, if you have questions/need clarifications about any of this, EMAIL me.