Report #3
FIPP Activity Report
Funded by the Basic Skills Initiative
Name Karen Amano-Tompkins
Date 11/19/09
FIPP Partner Bruce Peppard
Section #6212
Activity /Strategy Rotating groups for weekly peer review of writing
assignments
Category Classroom environment
Briefly describe the activity/strategy.
1. Introduction Each week during writing lab, students are assigned to groups of
3-5 to conduct peer reviews of their writing assignments (outlines, drafts, etc.).
Groups change each week so that students are constantly working with new
classmates. By the end of the term, each student should have worked with
every other student in the class.
2. Set up & Supplies New groups must be defined (i.e. systematically scrambled)
each week. I write the groups on the board at the beginning of each lab (takes
longer than I'd like). Usually, I prepare and distribute a half-sheet of questions
for students to use to direct their reviews of each others' work.
3. Directions I read the groups off the board and have students identify themselves
to each other. Students are directed to review the work of at least two
members of their group and to have their work reviewed by at least two group
members. One student from each group is given a report form to document the
process (i.e. Student A reviewed the drafts of Student B & Student C, etc.)
4. Conclusion The group reports are turned in at the end of lab.
What worked well? While some students were uncomfortable with the activity early in the
term, most came to enjoy it and the process seemed to improve camaraderie and
general social comfort in the class. And having the students get additional feedback on
their work actually eased some of the workload on my tutor and on me.
What would you change? To facilitate group members sitting together from the beginning
of class and to get around the tedious and time-consuming process of writing all the
groups on the board, I'd like to make table top numbers for each group and clip a list of
the week's members to the number. So when students arrived they would have to find
their names on the tables to know where to sit (like at a wedding).
Would you use the activity/strategy again? Why or why not? Yes, this strategy made good
use of lab time, improved students skills at giving and receiving feedback, and most
importantly established a friendly collegial environment between students.
Please describe any student learning outcomes/changes that you observed after the
implementation of the activity/strategy. See above. Many students reported that the
activity improved their comfort level in the classrom and allowed them a venue to get to
know their fellow students. In particular, one student who self-identifies as autistic
began the class largely unable to converse with other students; now he greets others
when he enters the room and can be seen comfortably chatting and joking with his
classmates.