Working with peer reviewers in an online course

If you are taking an online writing class or MOOC, you can still take advantage of peer reviews. In an online course, you may be assigned to a peer-review group and given guidelines to follow. But if you are not assigned to a peer-review group, organize one for yourself. Post a note to the class, asking those interested in forming a group to contact you. Then talk through the purpose of the group in a collaborative space (in your course management site, if you have one, or on email): what is it you want each member to contribute? It’s best to be explicit and straightforward when you’re working with people you don’t know and won’t meet face to face. Then, as with any peer group, agree on what each of you will do (such as comment on specific aspects of a draft, identify confusing parts or passages, provide specific advice for improvement, and so on) and set a timeline. Give the group a test drive on your first drafts: you are looking for members who are as trustworthy, reliable, and smart as you are!