Providing constructive feedback is an essential tool for growth in writing. Writing is a skill of minute detail and sometimes bad habits with writing become part of the overall voice of a writer. To break these habits, we need to have a feedback loop that identifies where writing could be improved and what is working well.
How to create a peer-peer feedback loop
Firstly, provide students a chance to write an essay in relation to an exam question. This should be completed under test conditions to mirror assessment and exam parameters.
The next lesson, students should be provided with a collaborative document through Microsoft Teams or OneNote.
This is when students rotate their work to another member in the classroom – preferably in a round circle format. The will read one paragraph – start with the introduction. When students read the paragraph they will edit.for broad spelling and punctuation errors. While reading, they should also consider whether the argument is clear, links to the questions and is succinct and to the point.
Once students have read the paragraph and made notes, they are reading to record their observations into the assigned in the table below. On the far left, list the students name in a separate box. Students will write their feedback into the corresponding row. The notes should outline:
- Positives – what has the writer achieved with this paragraph
- Areas of improvement – What aspects of the paragraph could be modified to improve clarity.
Students should be given a few minutes to consolidate and make their notes.
This will then lead into a verbal discussion about the students work, elaborating and providing context to the paragraph. This aspect of the feedback loop can be intimidating and confrontation. Prior to the verbal feedback, emphasis that the debrief is focused on constructive feedback aimed to improve writing.
Once students have completed a round of feedback on the introduction, they are ready to continue the feedback loop. Once the cycle of rotating student work in circle, feedback, debrief has been completed, all aspects of the table will be complete along with feedback from multiple different people (one per paragraph).
Students are then welcome to begin rewriting and adjusting their work for improvement based on the notes and conversations in the feedback loop.
The English Classroom 