Peer critique has long been used as part of the process of teaching writing from primary school to secondary and post-secondary education.
[11] Proponents of using peer critique in the classroom say that it prepares students for lifelong learning and writing by practicing group feedback techniques they may use throughout their school years and into their professional lives.
Students who have little experience critiquing work may not yet have the skills to make meaningful revision suggestions on other peoples' writing.
Instructors who scaffold, or provide specific models and expectations for peer review processes experience better outcomes for student learners.
Students may also be uncomfortable sharing their unfinished work with their peers, prompting discussions about the writing process, rewriting, revising, and editing.
Peer critique in these circles provides a social outlet, a place for ideas to germinate, and accountability for writing in progress.
If unstructured, anonymous reviews can result in a negative culture spiral and has led to the withdrawal of certain online critique websites.
Providing a sense of community and accountability, they can help writers stay on track and receive the support they need to complete large projects.
Some instructors may, for example, arrange students into small synchronous groups for discussion, mitigating overwhelming feedback from the entire class.