Peer Review

Peer review and peer critique are useful methods of teaching only if those in the group have at least a modicum of knowledge or skill in the topic or technique. Using peer review sessions in a Fourth Grade writing class. for example, or even for some high school and college freshman classes, is silly, since many, if not most, students in such groups have only minimal skills in writing. Moreover, they are reluctant to say anything negative about the work of others. In a larger sense, how are they to know what good writing is if they have no standard by which to judge it?
   Society seems to feel it is harmful to a child's psyche if he or she is told that his work is ever less than praiseworthy or "excellent." The term "Good job!" is used so often, and with so much emphasis and enthusiasm as to make it meaningless. Children know false praise when they hear it.
   As adults (and this includes college students), people are reluctant to say anything negative about others during these so-called "peer review" sessions. Consequently, nothing productive is ever said.