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I use a form of critiquing in my tech writing classes. First, this class is
offered in house and while continuing education units (CEUS) are given for
completion, no grade is assigned. Not only do we critique anonymous work,
we also work in teams. I believe that the best way to learn something is to
teach it to someone else. I've heard the most marvelous instructions given
from one engineer to the other as he (generic usage--no flaming, please!)
explains why he changed something on the paper. I promise all of them that
they will become editors of everything they read, and by the end of the
class (6 weeks), they admit that they are doing just that. I encourage them
to help each other by reading memos, letters, etc. before they go out. I
don't actually use the term "critique," but set it up as a help or support
group. It seems to work pretty well.
Maybe it's just a play on words, but people bring me things to "edit," not
"critique." I think there's a difference in perception.
On the other side of the coin, I belong to a fiction critique group. They
can be brutally honest. :-)
