Peer Evaluation in Group Projects: Insight into Effective Student Critique and Feedback

Mitchell, Alexander, Greer, Terry, Howard, Jeff ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9077-1025, McDonald, Brian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0611-6499, Walton-Rivers, Joseph, Brown, Douglas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6662-6629 and Scott, Michael ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6803-1490 (2023) Peer Evaluation in Group Projects: Insight into Effective Student Critique and Feedback. In: AdvanceHE Assessment and Feedback Symposium, 7th November 2023, Reading, UK. (Submitted)

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Abstract / Summary

Collaborative projects are common in higher education. They yield authentic learning which nurtures employability. However, they can be difficult to assess. A concern is how educators measure collaboration fairly and equally. This research explores peer evaluation as a mechanism to critically examine such collaboration and form constructive feedback. Thematic analysis of comments made by fifty student teams using Feedback Fruits during retrospectives provides insight into what students believe noteworthy and how they formulate feedback. Correlating these with outcomes then illustrates the trends which lead to success, forming heuristics on good practice: key facets to consider and means to convey them. The session presents the question: “To what extent can university students offer insightful commentary on how they collaborate with peers?” An outline of the literature on peer feedback (Nicol et al, 2014) is situated in models of effective teamwork (Salas, Sims & Burke, 2005). This leads to hypotheses related to those facets of teamwork students focus on during their critique and their ability to formulate effective feedback (informed by Aivaloglou and Meulen, 2021). Next, the research methodology and context are described: a pair of large-scale modules implementing a group working strategy involving more than 50 teams of 6-12 game developers drawn from multiple disciplines who undertake a 30-week digital project. Notions of sprint retrospective sessions and the staff supervisor as a facilitator are provided alongside a light demonstration of the Feedback Fruits tool. Results from a thematic analysis highlight characteristics and trends typical of peer evaluation. Excerpts inform discussion on equality, diversity, and inclusion. Then, correlations with game ratings by assessors reveal those facets of peer evaluation that seem to support effective teamwork. Nokes-Malach, Richey, and Gadgils' (2015) insights on collaborative learning help distil these into heuristics that educators could use to nurture good practice in student critique and feedback.

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