The Use Of Peer Review In The Undergraduate Laboratory

The value of peer review in developing both critical thinking and student writing skills is welldocumented (1-4). The first drafts tend to be improved because the students’ realize that their peers will be reading their writing (5). Additionally, the student is provided with a formalized to revise the original report in response to the review. The reviewer benefits by being forced to consider the elements that lead to an effective report. However, the instructor must provide sufficient structure and guidance to prevent students from giving entirely negative or hierarchial evaluations (5). Thus, providing a structured report sheet, similar to a referee report, is advantageous.