Peer feedback is an important academic skill. In peer feedback, students provide feedback to each other on written assignments, skills, or behaviour. Students tend to learn more from peer feedback than from teacher feedback. This is because they approach peer feedback more critically: “Can I trust this feedback? Should I do something with it or ignore it?”. However, for peer feedback to be effective, students must first learn how to develop strong peer feedback skills.
What is good peer feedback?
Peer feedback on academic work contains four elements: a judgment, an explanation, a suggestion for improvement, and, where possible, a reference. This can take the form of a helpful question, a compliment, or a critical remark. The most valuable feedback addresses the bigger picture. Many students giving feedback for the first time focus on details, such as spelling mistakes. However, feedback about the bigger picture, such as the research question, structure, coherence, or relevance, encourages reflection and improves the work on a higher level.
It also matters how the feedback is communicated. Hurtful comments, vague compliments, or unclear feedback may trigger emotions or confusion that interfere with the learning process.
The VU Education Lab has developed a knowledge clip in both Dutch and English that you can share with your students. It teaches them what good peer feedback is and how to give it effectively.
Learning to use peer feedback
Giving feedback is only half of the peer feedback skill set. Learning how to receive and apply feedback is just as important. Students should review all the feedback they receive, try to understand it, and ask questions about it. The most effective approach is for students to engage in a dialogue with the peer who provided the feedback. This academic conversation involves many questions aimed at better understanding the feedback.
Students then create an action plan: which feedback do they want to use, and how will they approach it? The best method is to work from the big picture to the details, first adjust the main elements, then work on smaller points.
The VU Education Lab has also developed a knowledge clip about receiving peer feedback. This video is available in both Dutch and English and can be shared with your students.
Assessing peer feedback skills
Peer feedback skills are increasingly being included as learning objectives in courses or learning trajectories. While formative use of peer feedback is usually recommended, sometimes it must be assessed summatively.
How can this best be done? The VU Education Lab offers a rubric based on the knowledge clips mentioned above. This rubric can be used directly in your teaching or serve as inspiration to create your own.
