Unit Two Reflections and Advice for Unit Four

Unit Two is perhaps, the most challenging unit of this course, in terms of a learning curve; we began the process of creating two major documents, and  — beginnings for many, are the most difficult challenge. Happily, most of you are on an excellent track toward creating two significant and important documents that will be fully professional and useful to you in the immediate future.

One of the central goals of this course is to demonstrate how — through doing; by peer reviewing and rewriting, reflecting, and re-writing again, by doing these tasks, over and over, it becomes clear that writing is an art that improves with practice. Yes, indeed, learning to write is a life long occupation.

As this brand new course progresses, it is equally clear that the peer-review process is both challenging and rewarding. Your reflections demonstrate the value of this process and the particular challenges. You should approach this task by first concentrating on the criteria of the particular document in review:

• what is the purpose, who is the audience?
• is the document designed and organized appropriately for that purpose, that audience?
• is the tone of the document appropriate?
• is the analysis or narrative logical and organized appropriately for its purpose?
• is the document complete in scope?
• does the document meet its purpose?
• are there spelling, grammar, or typos?

If you use these questions to begin the process of your review, you will find that not only are you able to provide a valid and helpful review for your peer, this process also greatly enables you in developing self-editing skills. Here are some useful tips for you:

Peer Reviews:

• Templates: if you design a template for your review that responds to the elements of the document you are reviewing, and that is complete – before you read your peers document, this will ensure a compete and objective review; a valid review.
• If your peer’s document is put together with a high level of excellence, good. This give you the opportunity to point to the particularities of the document as examples of excellence, and why.
• Just as you must provide a rational for why rewriting is necessary, or why your particular suggestions will be useful — you likewise need to provide a rational for why a passage, or the organization, or the scope are excellent.
• Brevity is priceless in peer reviews: Follow the template, provide brief and clear reasons for your comments and suggestions.
• DO NOT use a point system – comments are meaningful. Points are necessarily arbitrary and subjective.
• Be sure to read the step- by -step instructions for peer-reviewing your partner’s report draft, in lesson 4:1, most carefully.

Here is an excellent example of a Linked-In-Peer-Review-

Document and Page Design are as important as text.

Your Application package, along with your strategy for professional networking, are perhaps the most important assignments this term in terms of usefulness to you as graduating students about to enter the job market, or to volunteer your time and skills internationally, or to enter graduate school.

Accordingly, your peer reviews for your partner’s Application package are particularly important, and my expectations are high. This is your final peer review assignment and I expect that full advantage will be taken of this opportunity to assist your peer in putting together an outstanding application package.

Although, this is your final peer-review assignment, I also hope that you will continue to assist each other, asking and answering questions, and perhaps more peer-editing over the next three weeks as due dates for these assignments approach.

You are free to use our Facebook page to post passages you are having difficulty phrasing, or raise questions about organization or citation, or any question you have as write — and I will assist, or your peers can assist. This is a learning process and goal is perfection – and, as a writer, you will never stop reaching for that goal.

Enjoy Unit Four – and I will begin evaluating Unit three for you, just as soon as I finish Unit Two, today!