# Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 3/Experts Take Sides/Peer Review Two

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This article has been reviewed by: BitterAsianMan (talk) 02:54, 15 June 2009 (UTC)
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PEER REVIEW TEMPLATE
Use this template for your peer reviews.
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You are required to complete TWO (2) peer reviews.
Please take your time and provide effective, helpful feedback. Plan to spend 1.5 to 2 hours per review!
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Starting the DAY AFTER the peer reviews are due, you may complete ADDITIONAL peer reviews for EXTRA CREDIT (25 points each). You MAY NOT complete any Extra Credit Reviews until that time.
Part 1 - Article Components
Learning Target(s)
Answer the following questions regarding the learning targets:
Is/are the stated learning targets actual learning targets i.e. they state what the reader should know or be able to do after reading the article? Yes
Is/are the learning target(s) specific? Yes
Is/are they appropriate and reasonable? (Are they too easy or too difficult for ECI 301 students?) A bit too easy, for my tastes.
Is/are they observable? (You wouldn't have to look inside the readers head to know if they met this target.) Yes
Does the article provide adequate information for readers to achieve these targets? No
Please make a comment about the learning target(s). If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve them.
Comment: This learning target and the formation of the article itself do not match up very well. You state that, "The reader will be able to describe the different interpretations of The History of Education." Which is fine, for the most part. Aside from the fact that the article itself is not formatted very well to present these facts to your reader. I would suggest splitting up whatever these "different interpretations" are under different headings, and better delineating what,exactly, each interpretation is. You can name them according to the different authors you mention within your article, just as a suggestion.
As an additional improvement, I would consider expanding the scope of your learning target, maybe including why these different interpretations are valid/important.
Grammar and Mechanics Review
Please either paste the entire body of the article here or any sections that you feel need to be revised.
To do this:
go back to the module page for the article
select "edit this page"
highlight all the text, hit control "c" (or "copy" from the edit menu)
navigate back to your peer review page
click edit this page and paste the text into this window (use control "v" or paste from the edit menu)
You may want to have Wikibooks open in two windows/tabs to make this process easier.
Type your comments in ALL CAPITALS or in another color so the author can easily find them.
The reader will be able to describe the different interpretations of The History of Education. NO NEED FOR CAPITALIZATION HERE OF "THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION"
Edward J. Power's article Persistent Myths in the History of Education says that the reason to study it is "that the History of Education will sharpen students' professional study with precisely the same objective as, say, techniques of teaching or classroom management." PLACE THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE WITHIN QUOTATION MARKS
Whether it be from the size of the classes or the way that people with special needs are taught. SENTENCE FRAGMENT
While on the other hand the high school students would become bored with the subject matter of the first grade class. COMMA AFTER "WHILE ON THE OTHER HAND" INTRO STATEMENT
Why are their so many ways to say basically the same thing? WRONG "THERE"
If you compare the three authors philosophies above, you will be able to identify their different interruptions. I ASSUME THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE "INTERPRETATIONS"
Sources
For each source listed in the "References" section of the article, name the type of source (scholarly or popular) and the perspective it provides (research, expert opinion from educator, popular news source, parent organization, personal contact, etc.)
.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education Type: Popular, Perspective: General Research
.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/179408/education Type: Popular, Perspective: General Research
.Elliott, B. J. (1977).Researching The History of Education. Research Intelligence. 3, 16-19 Type: Popular, Perspective: Expert opinion from educator/research
.Webster, Charles (1976).Changing Perspectives in the History of Education. Oxford Review of Education Type: Scholarly, Perspective: Expert opinion From educator
.Power, Edward J. (1962).Persistent Myths in the History of Education. History of Education Quarterly. 2, 140-151. Type: Scholarly, Perspective: Expert Opinion from educator
List the range of publication years for all sources, e.g. 1998-2006: 1962-2009
Answer the following questions about the sources used in the article:
Did the author CITE at least 5 sources? Yes. and use at least 2 scholarly sources? Yes
Are the citations in APA format? Nope.
Here are two examples of citations in APA format, one for a paraphrase and one for a quotation:
Constructing a title is both a science and an art, but on one fact all of the experts agree: the title must contain a colon (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, & Starr, 2007).
Unfortunately impoverished children are often attending “low-performing schools staffed by ill-equipped teachers” (Murnane, 2007, p. 34).
Are all the sources listed in APA format in a Reference list labeled "References"? No
Here is an example of a reference written in APA format:
Bailey, J., & Barnum, P. (2001). The colon and its rise to prominence in the American circus. Journal of American Punctuation, 34(5), 2-3.
Taken together do the 5 sources represent a good balance of potential references for this topic? I think so.
Does the author consider potential bias in the sources? Probably not, but it's an intrinsic part of this topic. This is, after all,"the experts take sides".
Are most of the sources current (less than 5 years old)? No
Please make a comment about the sources. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve.
Comment: First thing first, just fix the APA formatting issues, when you cite your websites. I hereby introduce you to the magic of bib me: you can paste in your sources, easy peasy, and choose the formatting style of your choice. It's pretty excellent. As for the dating of these sources, I would suggest you scour newer news articles, I understand that this isn't the "in the news" section, but you should be able to find some more recent information regarding expert opinions on the history of education pretty easily through the use of news articles.
Multiple Choice Questions
What does each question assess: knowledge or reasoning (application of knowledge)?
Question 1 knowledge
Question 2 knowledge
Question 3 knowledge
Question 4 knowledge
Answer the following questions about the multiple-choice questions.
Are there 4 multiple-choice questions? Yep
Do they each have four answer choices (A-D)? Yes
Is there a single correct (not opinion-based) answer for each question? Yes
Do the questions assess the learning target? Kinda, I think they cover a broader swath of information.
Are the questions appropriate and reasonable (not too easy and not too difficult)? Sure
Are the foils (the response options that are NOT the answer) reasonable i.e. they are not very obviously incorrect answers? Most of them
Are the response options listed in alphabetical order? Yep
Are correct answers provided and listed BELOW all the questions? Yep
Please make a comment about the multiple-choice questions. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve the question/s.
Comment: Mostly, my concern as to your assessment of the "learning target" is related to the overall construction of your article. My previous statements about your learning target and article, once applied would fix most of the problem. Right now, there don't appear to be any different "interpretations" being explored during the article. (None that are clearly named as such, at least.) I would suggest making the questions a bit more involved as well, to better represent a college level of difficulty. Perhaps testing on more specific information, or crafting these questions to be more specific in their concern to the broader subject.
Part 2 - Ratings
LIST and EXPLAIN your rating for each of the four criteria.
Importance:
I rated this article 4 for importance because... I think you got pretty boned on your topic, regarding this aspect, and you did your best to drive the point home that it is a relevant subject. So kudos for that.
Interest:
I rated this article 2 on interest because... Even with the mitigating circumstances of your subject matter, I just couldn't focus because of the way everything was written. It was much more of an information dump rather than an article. A very confusing, information dump. I could tell, in essence, what you wanted to represent within the article, which is fantastic, but overall the way it was done was just not very exciting. The information needs to have some "teeth" as it were, and be presented in a clearer manner. Once again, simply reformatting would help greatly.
Credibility:
I rated this article 4 for credibility because... Overall, it's pretty credible. Just fix the APA citations, and grab some more recent perspectives. I think you did a good job of including your information within the article without succumbing to bias.
Writing skill:
I rated this article 2 on writing because... The language used throughout is very awkward, and the overall organization of the information is not done very well. You should really avoid things like directly telling the reader how to interpret information presented during the article. This lessens both interest and impact, being spoon fed information is never fun. Also, the way that this was done was very awkward/confusing, I'm referring to the repeated use of the phrase, "what this is saying" throughout the article. With some very minimal rewording, that entire section could flow much, much better. Overall, I would do the following to start with: Read this whole thing out loud to yourself slowly, and the awkward parts of speech should jump out at you. Go back through and amend your sentences accordingly. Second: I would split up the main body of the article into easily digested portions and clearly head each section, in some uniform manner.
HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC POINTS IN THE RUBRIC that apply to the article.
To do this: Highlight sections with the cursor and use the BOLD icon above OR type ''' (3 apostrophes) before and after the text you want to make bold
Wiki Article Rubric
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How important was the information presented on this topic to you as a teacher education student?
Covers key ideas crucial for future teachers to know
Based on researched information.
Highly relevant to current educational practice (*this description may be less applicable for some topics such as history of education)
Provides an excellent overview of the topic including relevant research, educational practice, laws and litigation. Includes in-depth discussion of at least a few selected key issues.
Includes ideas relevant to future teachers
Mostly based on researched information.
Applicable to today’s schools
Provides a good general overview with relevant information and discussion of a few key ideas
A couple useful points; some irrelevant information
About half of the information is the author’s opinion.
Some out-dated information; may not reflect current practice
Good information is included but the paper yields a partial /incomplete understanding of the topic or key issues
One useful point
A few facts but mostly the author’s opinion.
Most of the information is irrelevant in today’s schools.
Focused on unimportant subtopics OR overly general with few specifics. Important information is missing.
Information is not relevant to future teachers.
Information is entirely the author’s opinion.
The information is obsolete.
Only irrelevant details or common knowledge. Lacks any substantive information.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How interesting was the article to read?
Sidebar includes new information that was motivating to read/view
Visuals (headings, colors, fonts, pictures, etc.) enhance the article by making it easier or more inviting to read
Multiple perspectives are considered and discussed
Mostly new information/ideas
Insightful interpretation & analysis are evident throughout the article; a clearly stated conclusion synthesizes all of the material presented.
Points are clearly made and elaborated on with compelling examples.
Sidebar includes new information that enhances understanding of the topic
Visuals add to the article
At least two perspectives were presented
About half of the information/ideas are new
Interpretation and analysis is provided for 3-4 points in the article; a reasonable conclusion based on this information is stated
Some good points are made and explained.
Sidebar includes new information related to the topic.
Visuals are included but have minimal effect
One interesting or new perspective is presented
A couple (2-3) new ideas or pieces of information
Interpretation/ analysis is included for a few (1-2) individual sections, but there is not a conclusion that synthesizes the information presented.
Points are made but may not always be adequately supported or explained.
Sidebar repeats what is already in the article
Visuals are somewhat distracting or not included
Only the “typical” view or one biased perspective is presented.
One new idea or bit of information
Information presented with minimal analysis or interpretation; no conclusion or the conclusion is not based on the information presented
At least one clear point is made and supported.
No side bar included.
Visuals are offensive and completely detract from the content
No perspective is acknowledged.
Nothing new.
No analysis or interpretation included
No clear points are made or points appear pasted from other sources without any explanation.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How credible do you think the information is?
Required sources are properly cited and included in a reference list in APA format.
Information from diverse sources representing multiple perspectives is included. Several reputable and current sources are cited. The author acknowledges potential bias in sources where appropriate.
Author clearly identifies his own ideas, biases and opinions
Required sources are included; a couple of formatting errors
Information from a variety of sources is included. Most sources are reasonably reputable; bias is acknowledged in others.
It is clear when the author is presenting his own opinion; he doesn’t try to pass if off as fact.
Required sources are included; APA format is not used or has many errors.
A variety of sources is listed but the information primarily reflects a single viewpoint. Sources are reasonable.
The author occasionally (1-2 times) states his own opinion as fact.
Only 4 sources are cited/listed in the references or only 1 scholarly source was used
Sources lack diversity OR information from divergent sources is only superficially mentioned. Some sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such.
Author routinely (3-4 times) states her opinion as fact, ignores own biases.
Missing two or more sources OR sources used but not cited or listed.
All sources and information reflect a single viewpoint. Most sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such.
The entire article is biased and opinion-based without acknowledgment of this perspective.
criteria
5
4
3
2
1
How well do you think this article was written?
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, assess key points, and are written according to guidelines (see R4)
Specific, appropriate and observable learning targets are stated; the content is clearly organized to help the reader achieve these goals
Captures and maintains attention throughout
All or almost all of the cited information is introduced, elaborated on and explained
Writing is organized, easy to read, and contains few to no mechanical errors.
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, and assess key points.
Specific and reasonable learning targets are stated; the content aligns with these goals
Captures attention initially and periodically throughout
Most of the cited information is discussed or explained.
The article flowed pretty well and there were just a few mechanical errors.
Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) assess key points
Reasonable learning targets are stated; the content relates to these goals
Parts of the article capture attention
About half of the cited information is discussed
A few areas were hard to follow, confusing or oddly organized. There were a few distracting errors.
4 multiple-choice questions are included.
Learning targets generally related to the content are stated
At least one part of the article is interesting
Information is “pasted” together with minimal explanation.
Organization was difficult to follow, sentences were awkward and/or there were several distracting errors.
Questions are missing or not multiple-choice.
Learning target is missing or unrelated to content or is/are not actual learning targets
Nothing in the article grabs the reader’s attention
Article is entirely “pasted” together from other sources.
Poor organization, sentence structure and/or grammatical errors made it very difficult to understand the content.
Part 3 - "2+2"
List TWO compliments and TWO suggestions about the article content
Hints:
Focus on the work, not the person
Describe "There is...", "I see.." rather than judge "You didn't..."
Compliments
. I really liked the overall effort to make this information relateable/easily digestible.
. Overall, I thought the ideas presented throughout were sound, they had sufficient support and a measure of passion behind their representation.
Suggestions
. Reformat the main body of the article into separate sections and re-evaluate your learning target.
. Try to make the information more engaging, and please evaluate the clunky/repetitive language used throughout the article. (Using the method of reading it out loud, if you so desire. I don't mean for that specific suggestion to seem condescending, it's something I do with everything I write, unless I'm extremely rushed. I find it to be endlessly helpful.)
You can make compliments and suggestions that relate to specific areas of the paper or to the paper in general. I suggest a mixture of both. Focus on what's most important. Of course, you can also include more than two suggestions and more than two compliments. The goal is to help the author improve his/her article. :