Calibrated Peer Review

Arlene A. Russell, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA (russell@chem.ucla.edu)

What is Calibrated Peer Review™?

Calibrated Peer Review™ (CPR) is a web-based management tool that enables discipline-based writing with peer review in classes of any size. Students learn how to evaluate their peers' documents by reviewing three carefully crafted sample texts, which include an exemplar and common student errors and misconceptions. Pre-written assignments by other instructors can be used or adapted to fit your needs. Citation credit is attributed to faculty authors whose writing assignments are modified. Learn more about Calibrated Peer Review

Why use Calibrated Peer Review™?

Calibrated Peer Review mimics what scientists and engineers do. They begin research by writing proposals, which are peer reviewed. They do research and then write manuscripts, which are peer reviewed. Peer review plays a prominent role in the progress of science; writing with anonymous peer review is the model for Calibrated Peer Review. Learn more about why Calibrated Peer Review is effective

How to use Calibrated Peer Review™

Experienced Calibrated Peer Review assignment authors have found that three key features make an effective assignment topic. Because a full assignment requires additional student time beyond the writing, the topic must be

1. significant and central to the course
2. appropriate for a writing assignment
3. interesting and challenging, but not overwhelming for students Learn more about how to use Calibrated Peer Review
   
   

Examples of Calibrated Peer Review™

From among the disciplines that have used Calibrated Peer Review™, examples are provided in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geoscience, Mathematics, Psychology, Statistics, and technical writing. See examples of Calibrated Peer Review from these disciplines

References on Calibrated Peer Review™

Calibrated Peer Review™ (CPR) as been shown to improve content knowledge in the disciplines, improve writing skills, particularly among weaker writers, and develop critical thinking skills through the peer review process in a variety of institutions and across the disciplines. View references on Calibrated Peer Review