Learning activity

Developing critical writing skills through peer review and reflection

Help students practice giving feedback professionally while critically evaluating their peers’ arguments and supporting evidence.

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Created by:

Dr Mary Curtin

University College Dublin

Pedagogy

Critical pedagogy

Learning outcome

Prep time

Intermediate (10-30 min)

Activity type

Learning Activity

Why this learning activity?

Learning activities targeting high-order skills like this one can help you activate students more effectively. This learning activity will help you with:

Develop critical writing skills

Students will construct a coherent, evidence-based essay presenting a clear position on a chosen topic.

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Provide professional peer feedback

Students will evaluate classmates’ essays using rubric criteria, offering constructive, respectful, and actionable feedback, and develop skills that can be applied in future professional settings.

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Reflect and improve

Students will analyze the feedback received from peers to identify areas for improvement and enhance their own writing and argumentation skills.

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Activity setup

Activity steps Activity goals Tools used In this activity

Developing critical writing skills through peer review and reflection

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Activity steps

Read instructions: Students carefully review the instructions and learning outcomes of the activity.
Submission: Students choose one of the two provided essay titles, pick a side, and write a short, well-structured essay supporting their position with evidence and reasoning.
Provide peer feedback: Students are assigned two peers’ essays to review. Using the provided marking criteria, evaluate their arguments, clarity, and use of evidence, providing specific, balanced, and professional feedback.
Received reviews and feedback-on-feedback: Students read the feedback they received from peers and rate its usefulness on a scale of 1 to 10, with optional written clarification.‍
Grading: Grades are based on completing the peer review process.

Learning Activities Used

Peer Review

Stimulate lifelong learning with peer feedback

In this activity

Structured rubrics are provided to guide students in giving clear, constructive, and consistent feedback.
Submitter and reviewer anonymity is enabled, encouraging honest and unbiased feedback, though this can be adjusted if preferred.
Feedback-on-feedback is enabled, allowing students to rate the usefulness of feedback received and provide clarification.
Students are assigned to review two peer essays, which can be adjusted based on class size or course needs.
Professional language expectations are highlighted, emphasizing respectful and actionable feedback that mirrors real-world workplace communication standards.