Observation
• Students in my upper-level geology course
don’t write well.
GOAL: Provide more practice writing
across the geology curriculum
Physical Geology – 120 students
• 2007: Introduced one short (~500 word)
writing assignment in response to a field trip
• Instructor Graded
• Lots of time, not much feedback
Calibrated Peer Review
Your institution needs to purchase a license
to use CPR
Steps in CPR
• Students upload responses to a writing
prompt to CPR
• Students grade calibration essays based on a
rubric
• Students grade each others essays (doubleblind)
• Students grade their own essays
• Student score includes their essay, calibration,
self-review, and reviews of peers
Writing Prompt
• Write an essay that explains how marine magnetic anomalies
support the theory of sea floor spreading. Write your essay so that
a U of I student who has not taken any geology courses could
understand it. Your essay should include the background
information necessary to interpret marine magnetic anomalies but
should not include unnecessary details. Be sure to define any
scientific terminology that you use. In particular, you must define
the theory of sea floor spreading and marine magnetic anomalies.
• You may collaborate with classmates in thinking about this
assignment and you may read and help edit classmates'
assignments, but be sure to submit an original essay. The CPR
software automatically checks for plagiarism. Check for proper
spelling, punctuation and grammar in your essay. Your essay should
be no longer than 750 words.
Now – you have to provide calibration
essays and a rubric for grading
• This is the hardest part!
Student responses to questions are
compared to instructor’s response for
calibration essays
Students grade peer essays and their
own essay
Instructors
• May participate as students
• Should evaluate at least 10-20% of student
essays
• Get a list of problems (missing reviews, lowquality reviews)
Instructors
• Get a list of problems (missing reviews, lowquality reviews)
Writing in Physical Geology
• 4 writing assignments now included
• Manageable instructor work load
• Concepts included in CPR assignments are
mastered on exams
Downsides/Ongoing problems
• CPR is unpopular with students (in my class)
• Many ESL students – what is a good response?
• Students have an evaluation strategy for peers
– typically they give very high grades
• Balance simplicity of assignment with attempt
to get students to think more critically and in
more detail.
• Mission creep – writing as a means for
learning