Peer Review and Journal Writing in the Eyes of First-Year Students of English Studies: A Writing Course at the University of Łódź

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show the results of a questionnaire that was completed by 91 students of English studies enrolled in the first-year writing course at the Institute of English, University of Łódź, Poland. The questionnaire was designed to elicit information on students’ opinions on three aspects of the course, namely forms of feedback on written work, peer review, and journal writing. These points were considered crucial for meeting the objectives of the course, so it was hoped that examining the students’ opinions about these issues could provide valuable feedback on the new course.

Giving feedback and peer reviewing have been seen as closely related and involve such issues as the role of the tutor in evaluating students’ work, cooperation with peers, and possible improvements in this area. The most common form of feedback about a paper was a conversation between the student and the teacher. However, the choice of the form of feedback was up to the teacher: It included either a talk with the teacher or the teacher’s written commentary on the paper. Simultaneously, peer review as a technique used during classes was regarded as helpful by more than half of the students.

As far as journal writing is concerned, the students found keeping a journal to be a positive experience, saying that writing journal entries not only helped them improve their writing skills but also allowed them to “open up,” learn how to express their own opinions, and even to relax. They suggested that journal entries be submitted online and checked by the tutors more frequently.

Appendices

Appendices

1.1 Appendix 1

1.1.1 Writing and Text Analysis—Year One

Class Evaluation Survey

The aim of this survey is to collect information on the writing class you have taken this semester. Your responses will remain anonymous and they may influence the shape of the course in the future, so please answer the questions honestly.

Instructor’s Name:

• 1. What is your general opinion on the course? Did you learn much? Why?

• 2. Were the genres practiced in class (description, narrative, autobiograpny) interesting for you? Why (not)?

• 3. Would you prefer to have written more in class? If so, how? Individually, in pairs, in groups? Why?

• 4. Did you receive valuable feedback from your classmates in the peer reviewing session? Did you use these comments when rewriting your papers?

• 5. Was commenting on your classmates’ papers helpful to you? If so, how? If not, why not?

• 6. Do you feel that keeping the writing journal helped you develop linguistically? Did it help you improve your writing skills? If so, how? If not, why not?

• 7. Is there something that could have made this course fuller and more effective? What?

• 8. Overall, what did this course give you?

• Thank you for your honest answers ☺

1.2 Appendix 2

PEER REVIEW FORM – NARRATIVE

• AUTHOR: ………………………………………………….

• REVIEWER: ……………………………………………………

Read the essay carefully and respond to the questions below. If you find glaring typos or errors, you can circle them, but your job is NOT to grade or fix grammar errors – you are reviewing the writing and providing feedback on how to revise.

• 1. Has the beginning of the story made you want to continue reading? YES/NO

  If so, what makes it so? If not, how could it be improved?

• 2. Is your attention kept until the very last moment? YES/NO

  If so, what makes it so? If not, how could it be improved?

• 3. Does the story develop in a logical way? YES/NO

  If so, explain how it works. If not, how could it be improved?

• 4. Do the descriptive passages help the author to tell the story? YES/NO

  If so, explain how it works. If not, how could it be improved?

• 5. Are you satisfied with how the characters are presented? YES/NO

  If so, explain why. If not, how could it be improved?

• 6. As a reader, do you always find it easy to picture images, characters, situations? YES/NO

  If so, explain why. If not, how could it be improved?

• 7. Dialogues

• Are the dialogues used in the story effective? YES/NO

• Are they presented in an appropriate way (e.g. punctuation)? YES/NO

• Has the author used a variety of verbs to introduce a quote? YES/NO

Specify what – concerning the dialogues – would need further improvement.

• 8. What passage or area would benefit most from revision? You can mark it in the text. Provide the author with at least one suggestion that might help improve the piece.

• 9. What is the most effective aspect of the paper? Why?

Author’s comments after editing the paper:

Which reviewer’s comment proved most useful when editing your story? Why? Which fragment of your paper was moderated thanks to this comment? (mark it on the text)

1.3 Appendix 3

• University of Lodz, Institute of English Studies

ACADEMIC WRITING YEAR 1

Topics for journal entries

Week 1	Journals, diaries…
	What I expect from the composition classes
	Free topic
Week 2	Yes, I would do it once again
	I am new here
	Free topic
Week 3	What makes a good writer?
	“Who wants to live forever…”
	Free topic
Week 4	It changed my attitude to…
	… and lived happily ever after.
	Free topic
Week 5	Rain
	In my pocket…
	Free topic
Week 6	On my way to school
	Dreams
	Free topic
Week 7	Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow (Shakespeare)
	Running
	Free topic
Week 8	Late in the evening…
	Travel… the perfect freedom
	Free topic
Week 9	“I do.”
	It is still dark when I get up in the morning.
	Free topic
Week 10	I never thought of that!
	“Life is what happens when you plan to do other things” (Lennon)
	Free topic
Week 11	My pride and joy
	If only…
	Free topic
Week 12	What I need to concentrate on next semester
	What I would like to tell my teacher
	Free topic