TECHNIQUE

1.         Peer Review Technique

Brown (2001:14) states that technique is a variety of exercises, activities or devices used in language classroom for realizing lesson objective. There are many techniques that can be applied in teaching English writing, one of them is Peer Review technique. Peer review technique refers to the many ways in which students can share their creative work with peers for constructive feedback and then use this feedback to revise and improve their work. Peer review, in the academic sense, refers to the process of having classmates read each other's works to make edits and suggestions with the helps from a teacher.  In this case, teacher encourages students to give comments or suggestions and corrections to their friend’s work.

Chiu et al (2007) in their journal state in the process of reviewing and rewriting composition drafts, feedback is an essential element of process-oriented writing instruction. By means of the feedback teachers or peers provide, revision is facilitated, leading to the evolution of new ideas, the clarification of meanings and the enhancement of proficient writing. Students can learn how to improve drafts appropriately and enhance the overall quality of their writing. Feedback given by fellow student readers is called peer review. In peer review, students generate productive feedback to help each other revise their writing. Furthermore, peer review facilitates the writing process by assisting students to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their writing, to monitor the writing process and to develop reader awareness. Some students may also be able to learn to evaluate writing critically. In addition, it helps the writers to reshape and develop their ideas from alternative viewpoints presented through discussion with peers, a social behaviour of interaction and negotiation which may serve to scaffold cognitive construction.

According to Hyland (2002:135), peer conferencing can benefit both writers and readers by expanding students’ sense of audience for their papers beyond the teacher, developing a greater concern for appropriate genre conventions and reader expectations. In this class, reviews are conducted using the respond. Respond is a revision which allows students to read peer drafts and then steers them through an evaluative process.

Reid (1993:156) states that writing is usually easier, better, and more successful when talking, revising, and editing together in the groups that are part of the writing process. In this study, revising and editing done in pairs.

a.             The procedure of Peer review Technique

There are 5 steps in applying peer review technique in classroom, as follows:

1)        Students are assigned a writing task to be reviewed for next meeting

2)        Students are divided in pairs

3)        Students exchange their paper with pair and read it silently

4)        Responding the paper in writing by giving comments and revision on pair’s writing by filling up peer review feedback sheet during peer review session

5)        Delving further by asking questions of their pair reviewer

6)        Re-writing the final draft based on the revisions and comments given by pair as needed.

b.             The Advantages of Peer Review Technique

The advantages of peer review technique are:

1)      Students have opportunities to share their opinions and reflect their thoughts on their friend’s work

2)      Students may be motivated to write more carefully and clearly when they know their work is going to be read and evaluated by their friend

3)      Having students peer review each other’s work and then make corrections based on valuable inputs benefits the writer as well as the reviewer. This can help to greatly strengthen their writing and encourage students to think critically.

By using peer review technique, students’ curiosity for searching solutions to the problem will be sparked, engaging the students in active learning that will help develop their understanding and appreciation of diverse point of views. It also requires students to use complex reasoning and critical thinking skills. It creats more active and meaningful teaching learning process.