Providing peer feedback is an art that requires sensitivity and thoughtful explanations. Mastering this skill will enable you to give respectful and constructive feedback, which will enhance the learning experience for both you and your peers.
Use the rubric
The assignment rubric tells us what the person marking our work is looking for in the assignment. By understanding the rubric, you are more likely to provide useful feedback for your classmates.
If you find many grammatical or spelling errors that make the work hard to understand, you can point these out. However, you do not need to proofread your peer’s assignment and catch all of these mistakes. Comments relating to the rubric, the structure, and the logic of arguments will be more beneficial.
Respect privacy
Be mindful that the student’s work you review is not to be shared with others or posted online. This could lead to other students using the ideas from the assignment you reviewed, which is considered collusion — a form of academic misconduct.
Be polite
Having their work reviewed by a classmate could make some students feel uncomfortable. To minimise this, keep your comments polite and professional.
Personal comments or direct criticisms are best avoided.
Illustrate your points
When providing feedback, it will be more beneficial to your classmate if you clearly explain your comments and provide details of why you have made certain suggestions. For example, instead of saying, "This sentence doesn’t make sense," let them know what makes it unclear. Is there a grammatical error? Has a word been used incorrectly? Is the sentence too long and complicated? This will help your classmate make improvements to their work.
Activity: Appropriate or inappropriate feedback
Read the following sentences. Decide whether each sentence is either appropriate or inappropriate based on whether you think the feedback has been written in a respectful way.
