Personal Narrative Peer Review

Assignment created by Justin Greene (Department of English)

Peer Review, Part I:
AI-Assisted Essay Revision with a Supportive AI Tutor

Class Duration: 50 minutes

Objective

To use generative AI as a helpful, sympathetic, and focused writing tutor to identify potential areas of improvement in your personal narrative essay, while developing critical thinking and revision skills.

Activities

1. Preparation:
   1. Have your 500-word personal narrative essay ready in a digital format. PDF files work best.
   2. Open Microsoft Copilot.
2. AI Tutor Review:
   1. Set Copilot to “More Precise.”
   2. Input your essay into Copilot.
   3. Instruct the AI to act as a helpful, sympathetic, and focused writing tutor.
   4. Ask your AI tutor to provide the following feedback in a supportive manner:
      • 5 global revision suggestions
      • 5 paragraph-level revision suggestions
      • 5 sentence-level revision suggestions
   5. Request that the AI tutor explain each suggestion clearly and offer encouragement.
   6. Review this example prompt for help:
      You are a helpful, sympathetic, and focused writing tutor. Using the attached PDF, please provide 5 global revision, 5 paragraph-level revisions, and 5 sentence-level revisions. After each revision, fully explain why this would improve my writing. Be critical but also encourage me in every step.
3. AI Feedback Analysis:
   1. Review your AI tutor’s suggestions carefully.
   2. For each suggestion, consider:
      • How does the tone of the AI tutor affect your reception of the feedback?
      • Is this suggestion valid? Why or why not?
      • How might implementing this change affect your essay’s overall effectiveness?
      • Does this suggestion align with your authorial intent?
4. Peer Discussion:
   1. In pairs or small groups, share your AI tutor’s feedback and your analysis.
   2. Discuss the following questions:
      • Which AI tutor suggestions did you find most helpful? Least helpful? Why?
      • How did the supportive approach of the AI tutor impact your willingness to consider revisions?
      • Did the AI tutor miss any important areas for improvement?
      • How does the AI tutor feedback compare to traditional peer review feedback?
5. Revision Plan:
   1. Based on the AI tutor feedback and peer discussion, create a revision plan for your essay.
   2. Identify at least 3 global, 3 paragraph-level, and 3 sentence-level changes you plan to make.
   3. Briefly explain your rationale for each planned revision.
6. Reflection: Write a short reflection (150–200 words) addressing:
   • The strengths and limitations of using an AI tutor for essay revision
   • How the supportive approach of the AI tutor affected your revision process
   • What you learned about your writing through this activity
   • How this experience might influence your future use of AI in writing
7. Follow-up:
   1. Implement your revision plan and bring the revised essay to the next class.
   2. Be prepared to discuss how the AI tutor-assisted revision process impacted your final draft and your overall approach to writing in the reflective letter at the end of the project sequence.
8. Weekly Submission:
   For your weekly submission, include these items:
   • Your prompt for generative AI
   • The generative AI output
   • Your revision plan
   • Your reflection

Peer Review, Part II:
Essay Revision with a Classmate

Class Duration: 50 minutes

Objective

To provide constructive feedback on your peer’s personal narrative essay, focusing on global concerns, paragraph-level issues, and sentence-level details, while maintaining an empathetic reading approach.

Activities

1. Read your peer’s essay twice. First, read for overall impression and understanding. Second, read for detailed analysis.
2. Answer the Peer Review Questions (below) in each section, providing specific and descriptive suggestions for revision. For example, instead of simply stating “This paragraph needs work,” you might say “The third paragraph could be strengthened by adding more sensory details about the setting to help readers visualize the scene.”
3. Remember to be an empathetic reader. Consider the author’s intentions and experiences while offering constructive feedback.
4. After completing your review, complete these tasks:
   1. Discuss your feedback with your peer, allowing them to ask questions or seek clarification.
   2. Write a short reflection (150–200 words) on how this process of giving feedback might inform your own writing and revision strategies. Compare this peer activity with the generative AI review activity.
5. For your weekly submission, include these items:
   • Your reflection.
   • Your revised revision plan.

Peer Review Questions

Global Concerns

• What is the main theme or message of the narrative? Is it clearly conveyed throughout the essay?
• How effectively does the author establish their unique voice and perspective?
• Does the narrative have a clear beginning, middle, and end? If not, what suggestions can you offer to improve the overall structure?
• How well does the author balance storytelling with reflection? Are there areas where more reflection or more narrative detail would be beneficial?

Paragraph-Level Concerns

• Do individual paragraphs have clear focuses that contribute to the overall narrative?
• How well does the author transition between paragraphs and ideas?
• Is there a good balance of description, dialogue, and reflection within paragraphs?
• Are there any paragraphs that seem out of place or could be better positioned to improve the flow of the narrative?

Sentence-Level Concerns

• How varied are the sentence structures? Are there areas where sentence variety could be improved?
• Does the author effectively use sensory details to bring the narrative to life?
• Is the dialogue (if present) natural and purposeful?
• Are there any instances of unclear or awkward phrasing that could be revised for better clarity or impact?

 

Last Updated on July 8, 2025