We use writing assignments to gauge student understanding of course material and as an avenue for students to communicate their thinking on an issue. Such critical writing takes time and effort. We know that writing is a process that begins with a draft and evolves over time with further review and outside input. Adding these stages–drafting and revision–to a writing assignment, and grading them accordingly, signals to students that these are important steps in developing their ideas and communicating them effectively. But organizing and managing multiple files of the same assignment can be overwhelming, especially when some classes are hybrid or blended.
While you may have tried Canvas Peer Review in the past, there is another option: a shared Google Drive folder. Shared folders have a number of benefits. For one, students can view one another’s work easily and make real-time edits and suggestions. Another benefit of a shared folder is that neither you nor your students need to worry about losing files. Students upload their file (Docs, Word, PDF, or Pages files all work for peer review), and any accidental changes made by a peer can be undone, though we recommend instructing students to upload copies of an original document.
*Tip: You may choose to require your students to use Google Docs to create their drafts. This may be a useful requirement if one of the goals of the assignment is to track the student’s writing and thinking process.
Step One
The first step is to ensure that the assignment guidelines include time and points built in for revision. In a points-based course, for instance, consider awarding a completion grade for peer review that is separate from the actual essay grade. This will signal to students that review and revision are integral to successful writing.
Step Two
Create a shared Google Drive folder, labeled for the class or assignment. In a larger course, the instructor or GSI can create a folder for each section.
Step Three
Once all students have uploaded their drafts to the shared folder, they are ready to provide feedback to one another. If you can, provide class time for peer review. This will help students feel more comfortable critiquing one another’s work, especially if they are instructed to meet with one another first to discuss their writing experiences and their own questions about their drafts.
While many students will have previous experience with Google Docs, it’s helpful to review how to add comments and to go over editing tools. Students can even answer specific peer review questions by adding them to a comment box. Provide specific guidelines for feedback to ensure that all students receive useful help on their draft. If you’ve embedded librarians or tutors in your course, they can also easily provide feedback to documents in a Drive folder.
Step Four
Once students have completed their peer reviews, they can use that feedback to improve their drafts. During that time, both you and your students may return to the shared Google Drive folder to make changes and further suggestions, or students could be instructed to make those edits on their own copies of their work.
This is sometimes a stumbling block for students who feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar with revision. It’s important to make your expectations clear: are you looking for proofreading, or substantive change to content and organization? The Sweetland Center for Writing’s Revision Project is a useful resource here, with both links and examples of revision for faculty and students.
Final Considerations
While you will temporarily be housing student drafts in your Google Drive account, it’s important to remember that students maintain ownership of their written work, and should you wish to share that work with other classes or with audiences outside of the university, you would need their permission to do so.
Connect with the Learning & Teaching Consultants for help with obtaining that permission, and for any other questions you may have about integrating Google Drive and Google Docs into your writing assignments.
References:
Modey, C., Homan, E., Rodrigues, E. (n.d.) The Revision Project. The Sweetland Center for Writing. https://melo3drevisionproject.wordpress.com/
