How to enable and support peer to peer evaluations of contributions to group work
Some definitions
Peer scoring and evaluation can be used to support group work. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Here they are defined as:
Peer evaluation: group members evaluate the contributions of their group mates to a group project. This might be used in combination with peer scoring to generate feedback for peers on their contributions.
Peer scoring: group members score the contributions of their group mates to a group project. Such peer scoring might result in adjustments to individual marks around the mark awarded for a group submission.
Peer evaluation and scoring should not be confused with peer review. This is a University of Sussex assessment mode described as an assessment to develop skills in reflection through the review, assessment and provision of feedback on work of one or more peers using the Peer Review Assignment tool in Canvas.
There are no standard definitions for these terms in the pedagogic literature. In fact, ‘peer review’, ‘peer assessment’, ‘peer evaluation’ and ‘peer scoring’ are used inconsistently and interchangeably.
All of these approaches may also incorporate self-evaluation, scoring or marking, whereby students might document and evaluate their own submissions or contributions to a group.
Why use peer evaluation with group work?
Learning how to work effectively as part of inclusive groups and teams provides students with authentic and experiential learning experiences which develop valuable skills. Group work also benefits promotes deep and active learning and reinforces learning as collaboration rather than competition.
Incorporating peer evaluation into group work activities can further enhance all of the positives of group because it encourages reflection on one's own and others’ contributions to group work. For assessed activities, peer evaluation and scoring can also mitigate student concerns about the fair allocation of marks for a group submission.
Finally, using peer evaluation consistently across a curriculum will further support students' skill development, embed feedforward opportunities, help to develop students’ feedback literacy and their ability to benchmark and articulate their strengths, areas for improvements and preferred roles when working with others.
Tools to support peer evaluation
The recommended tool to support peer evaluation at the University of Sussex is called Buddycheck. It is integrated into Canvas and staff and students at Sussex access the tool through their Canvas modules.
Buddycheck can:
- collect students’ scores and feedback on their own and their peers’ contributions to group work
- provide your students with automated yet personalised feedback on their contributions
- use peer scores to calculate and apply individual weightings to marks awarded for group submissions
- make assessment of group work fairer through increased accountability and peer-moderation of grades.
- It can also be used formatively as a prompt for reflection and a source of feedback, developing a student’s teamwork skills.
View Buddycheck guidance for more about using this tool.
Preparing students for peer evaluation and group work
To effectively incorporate peer evaluation into teaching and/or assessment requires preparing students for reflecting on their own and others’ contributions to collaborative activities.
Explain how the process works
- Explain why you’re incorporating group work and peer evaluation(s) into the module (what skills student will develop, how it supports them meeting the module / course learning outcomes).
- Show students how Buddycheck works (links to short films, a student guide and a short PowerPoint are provided on the Buddycheck page).
Set expectations:
- Make clear whether students will be asked provide private comments to you, feedback to group-mates (which isn’t anonymous) or both. Explain the purpose of the comments.
- If asking students to provide feedback comments to each other, engage students in a discussion about what useful feedback looks like and agree some peer feedback dos and don'ts.
- If using with a summative assessment, provide an opportunity to practice using the tool, e.g. linked to a formative activity.
Encourage reflection:
- Introduce the peer evaluation questions students will be asked to respond to as a basis for a discussion about strengths, weaknesses, preferred ways of working as a starting point for agreeing roles and responsibilities in the group. You can also discuss practices that will enable and support inclusive group work.
- As part of these discussions, ask students to reflect on past group work and (if possible) peer evaluation outcomes, to identify areas for improvement.
- Incorporate personal reflection on contributions to the group work activity into the assessment.
Learn more and get support:
If you’re interested in reviewing your curriculum, and would like to discuss options for support, please contact your Academic Developer.
References and further reading
Find further information from: