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Heather A Ochmane-Learning Ecologies MOOC’s Updates
Peer Feedback as Teacher and Learner Tool--Optional Update #4
Peer Feedback is one way of moving away from traditional didactic learning and toward collaborative learning. Many classrooms are adopting this approach to providing formative assessment for important reasons:
It provides timely feedback
It offers more than one perspective on the artifact
It enhances peer-to-peer engagement.
The National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) points out that peer feedback “gives students practice with recognizing the success criteria for classroom learning goals in work that is not their own, which may give them a clearer understanding of the learning goal” (https://www.ncme.org/resources/formative/diagnostic-assessment869). In the past, students were rarely given a stated goal or outcome for each lesson. Simply allowing students to know what the purpose of each lesson or course is at the outset increases the opportunities for student agency.
The explosion in electronic resources available to teachers and students includes new skill- and strategy-based resources for peer-feedback. Students at the Center, is one organization that offers resources to support teachers who want to use a student-centered approach in their classrooms. Check out this fun video which uses a Jeopardy game show approach to talk about peer feedback and what it means. Student-centered Assessment Jeopardy
Peer feedback is not intuitive; it is a learned process. For it to be effective, students must be taught the skill and allowed to practice it. Teaching and learning peer feedback has multiple benefits. Not only does it improve the quality and effectiveness of the feedback given, it also teaches students some of the critical tools and processes involved in self-reflection. Writing is a key component of peer-feedback and so provides an incredibly powerful learning opportunity for the student who is providing the feedback as well. Investing in creative and interesting feedback strategies can begin in early elementary school.
One example from the NCME follows:
Two Stars and a Wish. Students identify two areas in which a particular piece of their peer's work is strong, and one in need of improvement.In order to work, this tactic has to be followed by an opportunity to revise and improve the work, if the students choose to do so.
(https://www.ncme.org/resources/formative/diagnostic-assessment869)
https://youtu.be/1i5JimVj3Go
https://studentsatthecenterhub.org/about/
I found the format of the Jeopardy game show to explain concepts really effective. That's also a good example of how the use of videos as an educational tool can enhance learning, and there are plenty of video resources on the Students at the Center Hub. Thanks for sharing it!
As for formative peer assessment, not only should learners be taught how to do it, but, as in formative self-assessment, they should also be given the time to process the feedback and use it to improve their work.