This is the post for the October 14, 2014 class meeting.

Today, we have peer review for Project 3 scheduled. We’ll follow the same process as we have on other assignments, so this should be routine by now. I hope to have feedback on the work you have submitted to you soon.

Class Work for October 14

Today we focus on peer review for Project 3, using Google Drive. Here are the tasks to complete for today’s work:

• Refresh yourself on the documentation for the comment system in Google Drive.
• Post drafts for Project 3 in the forums by noon, so you can receive feedback.
• Respond to two students on Google Drive and in the forums.
• Review the comments on your own work.

Refresher on the Google Drive Comment System

If you need a reminder on the comment and sharing systems in Google Drive, use the step-by-step instructions for how to use Google Drive for peer review on the FAQ site, which includes details on how to share your document, how to comment, and how to respond to comments.  If you need a more detailed explanation, be sure to check out the Lynda video on “Commenting on a file.”

Posting Your Drafts for Project 4

You will post the share link to your draft in the forums:

1. Go to the Project 3 Peer Review forum, and create a topic for your draft with your name or your username (e.g., “Traci’s proposal”).

2. Post a reply in your topic, doing the following:
   • If you do not want to share your last name in the forums, change it in your draft to a pseudonym. You can use a generic last name like Doe or Smith, or you can change it to Lastname.
   • Share the link(s) to your Project 4 drafts in Google Docs, using the FAQ linked in the Refresher section above.

3. Let your classmates know about any specific concerns that you want them to consider as they comment on your draft.

4. Be sure to Preview your draft to make sure everything shows up the way you want it to, and then submit your post.

Responding to Your Classmates’ Drafts

Follow these instructions to respond to your classmates’s drafts:

1. Read and comment on the drafts of at least two of your classmates:

   • Find one post that no other student has replied to (so that we can be sure everyone gets a reply).
   • Find a second post that has only one other student reply.

2. Use the Share link to go to your classmate’s draft on Google Drive and do the following:

   • Check the title of the document(s), and add a comment to tell your partner if it is clear and effective.
   • If you notice any spelling errors, punctuation errors, or typos, mark them as you read, but please focus more on the content rather than editing.
   • Add comments on the content of the draft. Comment on at least three things your classmate does well and at least three things that your classmate could improve on. It’s fine (excellent, even) to include more than the minimum number of comments.
   • As you check the documents, check that the proposal includes the following required sections and add a comment if anything is missing:
     • summary (p. 282–283)
     • introduction, which explains the findings of the writer’s research and the writer’s needs (p. 283)
     • proposed tasks, that is what the writer proposes to create for Project 4 (p. 283–286)
     • task schedule for Project 4 (p. 287–289)
     • evaluation techniques (p. 289), which outlines three levels of work for Project 4:
       • Average Work ( a C project)
       • Above-Average Work (a B project)
       • Excellent Work (an A project)

3. Once you finish commenting on the document, go back to your classmate’s post in the forums and add an overall comment that sums up what you thought of the paper and gives your partner some encouragement.

Reviewing the Comments You Received

Once you have finished adding comments to your classmates’ projects, return to your own draft, read the comments that your classmates have given you, and add replies as appropriate. For instance, you might thank your partner for catching an error, ask your partner for more detail on feedback you don’t understand, or share a revision and ask your partner if it is an improvement. Your goal is to reply today so that your classmate can respond if you need more information.

Important Dates

• Thursday, October 16: Due date for Project 3 (informal proposal)
• Thursday, October 23: Deadline for Project 3 (end of grace period)