Peer Review and Workshops

One of the most effective ways to support students working on a writing assignment is to create opportunities for them to get feedback on drafts. Students will typically spend more time engaging with the feedback they receive on work-in-progress than on final drafts. It may not be possible for the instructor to offer feedback on working drafts to every student, and a peer review activity serves several purposes in addition to offering feedback. It provides an early deadline for work so that students cannot wait until the last minute to get started. It allows students to see others' work, giving them a sense of approaches they may not have imagined. Talking with peers likewise generates ideas students wouldn't have otherwise had.

Some students dread writing workshops because they've experienced poorly designed workshops in the past. If you're planning to run a workshop in your class, check out our detailed guidance on how to make it a success. Alternatively, if you teach a small course (of 20 students or fewer), you can learn more about having the HWC host a workshop for your class.