Checking the draft: Engaging peer feedback and assessment for learning using Peergrade

Peer feedback is a dialogic process in which students evaluate their peers’ work according to set criteria (Liu and Carless, 2006). Peer feedback and grading is considered to be “scalable instructional approach” (Price... [ view full abstract ]

Peer feedback is a dialogic process in which students evaluate their peers’ work according to set criteria (Liu and Carless, 2006). Peer feedback and grading is considered to be “scalable instructional approach” (Price et al., 2016) which is particularly suited to the assessment for learning process.

Peergrade (http://peergrade.io) is a free, online, peer grading tool that combines peer feedback and assessment, allowing students to provide feedback on peer submissions using a rubric created by the instructor.  Peergrade generates a grade for each student considering peer feedback received, agreement between peer feedback given and engagement with the feedback received.  Students can flag feedback, identify helpful feedback and comment on how the feedback could be improved.  In this way, Peergrade focuses on student dialogue and peer feedback over grading and peer assessment.

This paper considers As part of a first year degree programme module, students were given the option to submit a draft design document for which they would receive formative feedback.  Previously, the lecturer provided informal feedback verbally to those who presented a draft document and no marks were assigned for submission of the draft. Issues with this approach included the limited scalability of providing timely, individual feedback and low levels of student engagement with the feedback.

For the most recent delivery, students submitted their draft design document to Peergrade for peer feedback, with 10% of the marks assigned to the peer feedback process (using Peergrade’s generated grade).  Students could update their document following the peer feedback process prior to final submission.  This paper will outline the process of implementing a peer evaluation assignment in Peergrade, show analytics of students’ engagement with the process and lecturer reflections on benefits and difficulties of using the tool.  

Liu, N. and  Carless, D., 2006. Peer feedback: the learning element of peer assessment. Teaching in Higher Education 11, 279–290.

Price, E., Goldberg, F., Robinson, S., McKean, M., 2016. Validity of peer grading using Calibrated Peer Review in a guided-inquiry, conceptual physics course. Physical Review Physics Education Research 12. doi:10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.12.020145