by Drake Smith, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

As both a student and an educator in the biological sciences, I have found that reading scientific articles is an incredibly important aspect of the field. Being able to understand others’ research and navigating the world of scientific journals is a critical skill that takes time, patience, and practice. Additionally, writing scientific research in a way that is concise, clear, and backed with appropriate evidence is a vital piece any scientist’s career. However, these skills cannot be developed overnight. We all know that students need to develop these skills, but how often do curricula actually devote appropriate time and effort to give students a fighting chance to meaningfully improve their understanding of the writing process? After all, grading student writing is so much more time-consuming than grading a multiple-choice exam. Who wants to make more work for themselves? It’s not like the students are begging to have extensive writing projects added to their coursework load. Incorporating the different parts of the writing process into class time can also be a massive challenge for teachers. It might be seen as time wasted, where it could have been used to teach more content. It is so much easier to just not have students do this. But easy does not mean best for the student. Much like exercise, eating leafy greens, or drinking water instead of coffee, the choices that are better for you are not as easy or as fun. It is up to you as the teacher to enforce the best options for your students. 

 One of the most difficult and confusing parts of the writing process for many students is not the initial writing; it is the revision of their drafts. Revisions are heavily reliant on receiving feedback and incorporating it into your work to improve it. Feedback is typically given in two ways: instructor feedback and peer review. However, if you ask the average student writer how they feel about these two options, they probably do not have incredibly positive things to say. Oftentimes feedback from professors is very generalized or quite vague, as grading is incredibly time-consuming and there are not enough hours in the day for teachers to give incredibly detailed feedback to their students. This leads to helpful intentions being completely lost in translation. Peer reviewing can feel like a waste of time for students, especially if they do not have much experience doing it. They don’t know what they’re looking for or what they’re supposed to say. However, with some practice, students can give each other incredibly valuable feedback.  

There are many reasons why student writing should be peer reviewed. First, peer reviewing gives students many different perspectives on their topic of study. Students typically understand topics better when they are shown multiple points of view, which peer reviewing can provide. Peer reviewing can also give students a perspective that is delivered in a vernacular they are used to. For example, I can tell students about the technical aspects of the Krebs Cycle until I am blue in the face, but they may not truly understand what it accomplishes until their classmate explains it to them.  

One of the most valuable things that students can receive from peer review is that it forces them to reflect upon their own work. Students can see what makes writing easy to understand and enjoyable to read, or what makes writing terrible and confusing. This learning through example is one of the most powerful aids that you as a teacher can give to your students.  

Seeing multiple perspectives also gives students more information to think about for their own research. For example, I was recently participating in a peer review activity for one of my courses. The topic was teaching philosophies, and while reading my classmate’s work, I realized that I should give examples of activities I would use in my own teaching philosophy. The simple act of reading my classmate’s work helped ME significantly in improving my own work. It is important to remember that peer review may not provide perfect feedback for the students, and that is okay. One of the most valuable things that students can receive from peer review is that it forces them to reflect upon their own work. Students can see what makes writing easy to understand and enjoyable to read, or what makes writing terrible and confusing. This learning through example is one of the most powerful aids that you as a teacher can give to your students.  

 So yes, student writing is time-consuming. It is tedious to go through and read Every. Single. Paper. It is irritating to have to comment on mistakes over and over again. It is annoying to teach students what kinds of feedback are helpful to give and receive when participating in peer review. Your students may not even appreciate the efforts you are going through to help them do better. This does not mean you shouldn’t do it. The efforts that are invested into your students and their writing will eventually pay off. The lessons that you instill in your students now will stay with them for their entire careers.