Peer Review

Peer review is an instructional strategy where students evaluate each other’s work in order to provide constructive feedback and support to their peers. This strategy can involve activities such as evaluation of written work, pointing out errors or knowledge gaps, summarizing, and providing feedback—all of which contribute to the consolidation and improvement of learning. Before meeting with the instructor or their TA, students can identify areas that need work by doing a peer review first (with advice on best practices). For example, an instructor could ask students to evaluate each other’s work, whether it be an assignment, a project that is still in progress, or an activity completed in class.

Peer review, or peer feedback, can be applied to concept mapping, write-pair-share, drawing/diagramming, close reading, and visual thinking. It is also applicable to a wide range of disciplines and situations, including projects, essays, reports, visual outputs, and student presentations. However, peer review needs to be well planned and include student training on how to provide constructive objective feedback.

Purpose: This strategy provides students the opportunity to practice negotiating and communication skills as well as how to provide and take feedback, defend their own positions, and politely reject ideas.

Tips

• Match peer review (peer feedback) with the learning objectives and or outcomes of your course. Expectations and criteria standards for acceptable work must be communicated and made clear by addressing the following with your students – Why are they required to do this? How is this beneficial to them?, and What is the expected goal?
• Create a criteria rubric, guidelines or checklist to guide students through the peer review (feedback) process and help manage expectations. Consider including students in the rubric development process, it can help motivate them to adapt and benefit from the peer review.
• Train and coach students on how to provide constructive feedback. Providing feedback to others will be new to most students and may be uncomfortable. Provide practice examples where students can give and receive feedback.
• Allocate sufficient time for the peer review process. Keep an eye on the student process and provide mentoring as needed. Give comments or a rating based on the peer review procedure. Provide students the chance to implement the feedback they get from their classmates since it can be helpful for students to have the opportunity to revise their work. Asking students to reflect on the editing and feedback process is also beneficial.

Websites

Examples of peer assessment (review) assignments. Use these examples as inspiration in creating guiding questions, rubrics, checklists, or rating scales. McGill University, Teaching and Learning Services.

Using Student Peer Review in Any Class, University of Waterloo.

Peer feedback Activities, University of Oxford, Centre for Teaching and Learning

Teaching students to evaluate each other, Cornell University, Center for Teaching Innovation.

Planning and Guiding In-Class Peer Review. Center for Teaching and Learning, Washington University

Peer Review Activity Ideas | College Teaching Tips

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