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Questions for Peer Review of Writing Assignments

Consider sharing your assignments with a colleague. Ask your colleague to answer the following questions:
Can you see how the assignment fits into course goals? Can you see what students might learn from doing this assignment?

Does the assignment seem interesting and challenging? From a student’s perspective, how difficult will this assignment be? How much time will it take?

What kinds of students would this assignment appeal to? What kinds of students will this assignment not appeal to?
Is the assignment clear? From a student’s perspective, is there any possible way to misinterpret the assignment?
Does the assignment specify or imply a specific audience? Are the grading criteria clear?
Are the mechanics of the assignment clear (due dates, expected length, manuscript form, other particulars)?
Is the process students should follow as explicit as possible? Are checkpoints built into the assignment? If you were to receive this assignment, what process would you follow?
How easy will this assignment be to coach? To grade?
 
(Adapted from John C. Bean. Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996. 0-7879-0203-9)