Writing Center Pedagogy in the Online Environment

Breuch, Lee-Ann Kastman. “Challenges of Virtual Peer Review.” Virtual Peer Review: Teaching and Learning About Writing in Online Environments. State Univ. of New York P: 2004. 79-107.

The use of online media and the textual nature of commentary raise complications relating to ownership and authorship. The collaboration used in online peer review may differ from that of f2f peer review in that written comments may be integrated into texts. This is an “illustration of the remediation of peer review to virtual environments” (80). To address these challenges, the relationship between virtual peer review and collaboration needs to be made clear. Virtual peer review and f2f peer review are similar in that they are both forms of responding to writing but differ in that virtual peer review lends itself to editing more easily. To minimize appropriation, Breuch suggests that “explanatory editing” (85) be used to promote student learning. Virtual peer review is a form of collaborative learning but should never be confused with collaborative writing. Collaborative learning aims to improve writers’ ability to produce their own text. This is done through interaction between the reviewer and writer. Hence, the reviewer should not make extensive additions to text. Breuch outlines an important way in which technology may undermine writing center pedagogy. This is an example of the substantive view of technology. She also discusses ways in which tutors may have to adjust their practices to adhere to theoretical principles of writing centers.