Pushing Past the First Draft: Exercises in Revision

This assignment, by Jacob Taylor, is from the the book Teaching and Generative AI.

The summary from the site explains:

This essay provides a series of global and local revision exercises for writing students to use while developing their revision processes. These revision exercises offer physical and digital possibilities, including opportunities to use AI learning models. Each of the included exercises can be done with or without the use of AI to accommodate individual preferences. The provided global revision strategies promote major structural and/or thematic revisions while requiring writing students to take risks. The local revision exercises help writing students tighten up sentences and improve minor stylistic elements while remaining focused on patterns they can begin to identify in future work. These revision exercises focus on revision as an individual activity rather than a social practice; providing guidance on seeking feedback from instructors, peers, or tutors is not within this essay’s scope, but writers should practice these exercises in addition to seeking and incorporating such feedback.

Key Features of This Assignment

Emphasis on Revision
This assignment focuses on the importance of revision in the writing process, guiding students through multiple stages of refining their drafts to improve clarity, coherence, and overall quality.
Structured Exercises
The assignment includes a series of structured exercises that help students identify weaknesses in their drafts and implement specific strategies for enhancement, promoting active and purposeful revision practices.
Peer Review Component
Students engage in peer review sessions, providing and receiving constructive feedback, which not only helps improve their own work but also develops their ability to critically evaluate the writing of others.