Responders Are Taught, Not Born.

The most academically talented students don't necessarily make the best reviewers of their peers' writing. Students need to practice reading one another's work while giving and receiving feedback before they do more than edit or offer global praise. To have significant effect, students must practice the skills peer reviewing requires for much longer than the traditional semester or yearlong writing course. It is important for students to learn these skills because they write better when using peer feedback and attending to the effects of their writing on readers and themselves.