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CSTW Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing

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Revision StrategiesM

The Second-Level Writing Handbook // Creating and Implementing Effective Writing Assignments // Responding to Student Writing // In-Class Writing Activities // Peer Response // Preventing Plagiarism // OSU Resources.

Download Revision Strategies as a Microsoft Word file.

Revising is an essential part of the writing process. By asking students to substantially modify and re-see the written work in light of audience feedback, you can greatly improve their writing skills and their understanding of course content. In addition to creating assignments and giving feedback which facilitates revision, you also can support student revision by developing in-class activities which model crucial revising strategies.

1) Writing Collaboratively

This activity highlights some fundamentals about organization and style. Have students write an introductory paragraph to a paper they might write at the top of a page. In class, rotate the papers and ask the next student to compose the following paragraph, making sure that things "flow." (You can also do this in groups). By ensuring that the goals outlined in the introduction are met, that the terminology remains consistent, and that paragraphs follow logically, students are given a kinesthetic example of how awareness of the larger project functions on the micro level. Time allotment: 30-60 minutes.

2) Creating and Revising "Bad" Examples

This activity works to help students identify problem areas in writing and revise them. Create a "bad example" of a paragraph from an imagined piece of "student" writing (ex: stylistic problem, weak thesis, undeveloped analysis, lack of specificity/clarity). Use PowerPoint or transparencies to show the example to students and discuss why it is problematic. As a whole class activity, ask students for suggestions of how to revise the "example" to make it better. Then, break students into small groups and ask them to create a "bad example" sentence or paragraph of their own that addresses the course reading/content for the day. Next, have the groups trade "bad examples" and revise them to be "good." After this, ask students to trade "good examples" and revise them to be better. At the end, each group should get back its original "bad example" so that they can see how it has been revised. Conclude the activity by asking groups to report to the class about what they learned and about why they revised as they did. Time allotment: 30-45 minutes.

3) Demonstrating the Process by Example

Bring in a piece of writing in which you have done some serious editing, such as a conference proposal. On overhead transparencies, show students the changes you made and the rhetorical choices/reasons behind them. Better yet, share with students drafts of a writing project that has been "dipped in red ink" by a professor or editor. Explain to students how you revised this project according to the feedback you received. Time allotment: 10-30 minutes.

4) Peer Response

To increase the feedback that students receive on their writing and to help them become more critical readers of their own work, you can have students respond to their peer's drafts. Peer response can be completed in three ways:

In-class with homework: If students are going to be responding to print drafts, you might consider having them bring in copies of the paper the class period before you intend to complete the peer response activity. Then, students can take their peers drafts home, comment on them in writing, and come prepared to discuss the drafts at the next class. This model allows for students to respond to multiple drafts.

Entirely in-class: Alternatively, you could have pairs of students respond to and discuss their peers' writing in-class. This model is particularly useful when you're drafts are coming on a tight schedule and you don't have time to allow students to take them home.

Electronically: Students post their papers to the WebCT discussion board as attachments. Students comment on the drafts using MS word "track changes" and "insert comments" functions. Students then meet to discuss their drafts in WebCT chat space. The instructor can attend the chat or review the log later. Groups can even meet outside of class time, though you would need to spend some time in class demonstrating the technologies and coordinating the meetings.

To make peer response successful, you must give students clear directions and demonstrate to them that you value this activity (otherwise they may give only bland positive comments). When designing a peer response activity, we suggest

  • requiring students to respond in writing to their peer's work.
  • giving students a grade or some kind of course credit for the activity.
  • discussing ways in which you incorporate peer response into your own academic writing (ex: informal paper trading or the journal peer review process)
  • providing detailed, written instructions (ex: "identify 3 places which are unclear and explain why they are unclear").
  • Asking students to provide a "writer's memo" with the final draft which outlines the changes they did and did not make in response to their peers (and their reasoning for these revising choices).