I hate peer review (sometimes)
I was thinking yesterday about how unproductive I find peer review groups to sometimes be in FYC. Sure, occasionally my students have done some great work, but I feel that most of the time they don’t get much done or much out of the experience. Some reasons: 1) they may simply not be interested in writing or talking about writing. 2) It can uncomfortable, as authors and readers, to critique someone’s work or have your own work critiqued. 3) Isn’t critique just another word for tear to pieces? (some students’ perception). 4) The academic writing they have done may not mean anything to them; it’s an assignment. 5) Even after a couple modelling sessions, they are new to talking about writing. 6) In the end, all that matters is what I, the teacher, think (I do the grading). 7) Talking about my new shoes or last weekend’s kegger is a hell of a lot more fun than talking about some stupid paper.
For the last few years my fix has been the writers’ workshop. It was incredibly useful in my graduate creative writing classes because I had 15 voices voicing (and sometimes debating) their thoughts on my writing. And this format translates very well in FYC. !) I’m in charge. Instead of hopping from group to group, hoping that they are on track. I know the entire class is on track, asking prompting questions and answering questions about writing 2) This is a semester-long modelling session, where I slowly can withdraw and let the students take control. It’s an incredible scene to watch. As they take control, I come to see that they don’t need me around anymore. 3) Student get an enormous amount of feedback–19 responses their writing.
Time needed to do this: 19 students @ 3 papers per semester (at UW) and 2-3 drafts = 57 papers and 114-171 drafts. The best solution has been that everyone gets to have one draft workshopped. All other drafts have peer review groups.
Taking 20 mins per draft, I get 2 done each class, over 10 sessions (about 3.33333333 weeks). @ 2 drafts per student: 6.6 weeks. Peer review groups (in groups of 4) takes up another 2 weeks. I think either approach leaves plenty of time for lessons on writing, readings, discussions, project presentations (2-3 weeks), etc.
Except there wasn’t enough time for workshops this semester, so I’ll have to compare the syllabi of these very different FYC courses.
