Peer-Editing Helps Students Learn From Their Classmates

English Composition is a class that most college students will have to take, whether they're getting their degree online or in a campus setting. Most students who take the class find that a common component of such a class is learning to peer-edit. Working with your classmates to improve your written work is a valuable lesson in working together with others, which will be useful throughout college and in your future career. Some tips can help you to peer-edit more effectively, so that you'll have better papers and the grades to match.

Most English Composition instructors encourage peer-editing as part of the revision process. Many college writing professors will allow time for this during class. If not, see if you can find a friend in class or even a group of classmates who are willing to check over each other's work. Since you are all likely completing the same assignment, feedback from your classmates can be particularly valuable.

When peer editing, the first thing to keep in mind is to keep your criticism constructive. This means seamlessly blending positive feedback with tips for improvement. Always think of something nice to say about someone's efforts before launching into everything he or she did wrong.

You and your peer editing partner may find it helpful to write more than one draft of any given paper. The first draft should deal with content, and as you edit each other's work, keep content, organization, and focus in mind. Grammar and spelling should not necessarily be of primary concern. In additional drafts, go back and look at conventions. You can correct punctuation and refine your sentence structure in a second draft. Finally, in a third draft, give your work a final polish. Focus on just the right word choices to convey your meaning.

Open communication is the best way to make the most of a peer-editing experience. The value of peer-editing is having the chance to talk about what you've done well and what needs work. Your professor's notes on the margins of your papers are valuable, but having the chance to talk a problem over with a peer is even more valuable.

What if you are taking an English Composition course online? Peer-editing can be a bit more of a challenge in an online format, but it is certainly possible. Email and online chat make it easy to send files and communicate with your classmates about their work. It doesn't matter if your peer-editing partner is in the next town over or halfway across the country. The two of you can still have a beneficial experience when it comes to reviewing each other's writing assignments.

A good tip for online students is to make use of the track changes feature of your word-processing program. Naturally, you won't be able to scribble comments on your peer's paper in-person. Track changes allow your peer to clearly see your suggested changes so that he or she can choose to make the proposed revision.

Learning to peer-edit effectively is not just a skill for college students, and it will be useful beyond an English college class. You'll peer edit throughout your life and career. College gives you an opportunity to refine your skills and become not just a better writer, but a better editor. Make sure to interact with your peers even during a college course online.