Observation

• Students in my upper-level geology course don’t write well.

GOAL: Provide more practice writing across the geology curriculum

Physical Geology – 120 students

• 2007: Introduced one short (~500 word) writing assignment in response to a field trip

• Instructor Graded

• Lots of time, not much feedback

Calibrated Peer Review

Your institution needs to purchase a license to use CPR

Steps in CPR

• Students upload responses to a writing prompt to CPR

• Students grade calibration essays based on a rubric

• Students grade each others essays (double-blind)• Students grade their own essays• Student score includes their essay, calibration,

self-review, and reviews of peers

Writing Prompt• Write an essay that explains how marine magnetic anomalies support

the theory of sea floor spreading. Write your essay so that a U of I student who has not taken any geology courses could understand it. Your essay should include the background information necessary to interpret marine magnetic anomalies but should not include unnecessary details. Be sure to define any scientific terminology that you use. In particular, you must define the theory of sea floor spreading and marine magnetic anomalies.

• You may collaborate with classmates in thinking about this assignment and you may read and help edit classmates' assignments, but be sure to submit an original essay. The CPR software automatically checks for plagiarism. Check for proper spelling, punctuation and grammar in your essay. Your essay should be no longer than 750 words.

Now – you have to provide calibration essays and a rubric for grading

• This is the hardest part!

Student responses to questions are compared to instructor’s response for calibration essays

Students grade peer essays and their own essay

Instructors

• May participate as students• Should evaluate at least 10-20% of student

essays• Get a list of problems (missing reviews, low-

quality reviews)

Instructors

• Get a list of problems (missing reviews, low-quality reviews)

Writing in Physical Geology

• 4 writing assignments now included• Manageable instructor work load• Concepts included in CPR assignments are

mastered on exams

Downsides/Ongoing problems

• CPR is unpopular with students (in my class)• Many ESL students – what is a good response?• Students have an evaluation strategy for peers –

typically they give very high grades• Balance simplicity of assignment with attempt to

get students to think more critically and in more detail.

• Mission creep – writing as a means for learning