Chapter 1. Normalizing Norming: Training Your Students to Be Reviewers
Kathryn Jurns and Ashton E. Dawes
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Abstract
Norming is the process of preparing students to engage effectively in specific tasks by establishing shared expectations and competencies. In writing classrooms, norming students to feedback practices, especially peer review, is essential for fostering meaningful engagement and productive revision. Without explicit instruction and practice, students often lack the necessary feedback literacy to evaluate writing critically, articulate constructive feedback, and communicate their revision needs. Because checklists are the most common form of peer review, training may not seem to be a necessary practice as it seems intuitive. However, existing literature (Carless & Boud, 2018; Evans, 2013; Min, 2006) argues that teachers cannot assume students will naturally navigate peer review in ways that meaningfully support their writing development. Many students have little experience discussing their own writing or providing feedback beyond surface-level corrections (Yoshida, 2008; Zhang & Hyland, 2023). Without guidance, peer review can become an ineffective or even discouraging activity. By incorporating structured norming activities, educators can help students develop the language and confidence needed for productive peer interactions. The chapter explores strategies for norming students to both feedback and communicative writing practices, emphasizing the roles of modeling, scaffolded discussions, and iterative practice. It also addresses the broader benefits of norming, including increased student autonomy, stronger revision skills, and a more collaborative classroom environment. Ultimately, norming is not an optional step but a necessary foundation for making peer review an effective and transformative tool in writing instruction.
About the Contributors
Kathryn Jurns is a lecturer at Rikkyo University in Japan. She received her MEd in TESOL from the University of Cincinnati in the US and has over a decade of L2 writing teaching experience. Kathryn’s research interests include second-language academic writing, peer review, and curriculum and materials development.
Ashton E. Dawes is a language lecturer at Rikkyo University, Japan. She received her Master’s of Applied Linguistics from the University of Mississippi, USA, and has nearly a decade of L2 writing teaching experience. Her research includes L2 writing feedback (peer, AI, and student-led), podcasts in education, and teacher leadership and education.
Citation
Jurns, K., & Dawes, A. E. (2026). Normalizing norming: Training your students to be reviewers. In A. E. Dawes & K. Jurns (Eds.), Cultivating confidence in L2 writing: Communicative and peer review practices (pp. 13–26). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/44/1
Norming is the process of preparing students to engage effectively in specific tasks by establishing shared expectations and competencies. In writing classrooms, norming students to feedback practices, especially peer review, is essential for fostering meaningful engagement and productive revision. Without explicit instruction and practice, students often lack the necessary feedback literacy to evaluate writing critically, articulate constructive feedback, and communicate their revision needs. Because checklists are the most common form of peer review, training may not seem to be a necessary practice as it seems intuitive. However, existing literature (Carless & Boud, 2018; Evans, 2013; Min, 2006) argues that teachers cannot assume students will naturally navigate peer review in ways that meaningfully support their writing development. Many students have little experience discussing their own writing or providing feedback beyond surface-level corrections (Yoshida, 2008; Zhang & Hyland, 2023). Without guidance, peer review can become an ineffective or even discouraging activity. By incorporating structured norming activities, educators can help students develop the language and confidence needed for productive peer interactions. The chapter explores strategies for norming students to both feedback and communicative writing practices, emphasizing the roles of modeling, scaffolded discussions, and iterative practice. It also addresses the broader benefits of norming, including increased student autonomy, stronger revision skills, and a more collaborative classroom environment. Ultimately, norming is not an optional step but a necessary foundation for making peer review an effective and transformative tool in writing instruction.
About the Contributors
Kathryn Jurns is a lecturer at Rikkyo University in Japan. She received her MEd in TESOL from the University of Cincinnati in the US and has over a decade of L2 writing teaching experience. Kathryn’s research interests include second-language academic writing, peer review, and curriculum and materials development.
Ashton E. Dawes is a language lecturer at Rikkyo University, Japan. She received her Master’s of Applied Linguistics from the University of Mississippi, USA, and has nearly a decade of L2 writing teaching experience. Her research includes L2 writing feedback (peer, AI, and student-led), podcasts in education, and teacher leadership and education.
Citation
Jurns, K., & Dawes, A. E. (2026). Normalizing norming: Training your students to be reviewers. In A. E. Dawes & K. Jurns (Eds.), Cultivating confidence in L2 writing: Communicative and peer review practices (pp. 13–26). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/44/1
Information About the Book
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Title: Cultivating Confidence in L2 Writing: Communicative and Peer Review Practices
Editors: Edited by Ashton E. Dawes and Kathryn Jurns Publication date: June 2026 Read more... |