Effective Peer Assessment

Learning how to provide peer feedback takes practice, but there are some strategies that you can use to make it effective. Consider the tips below:

Three essential questions: Using these three questions can help build a framework for providing feedback:

Be specific: Avoid giving your opinion. Instead, try providing your peers with actionable next steps. Being specific can truly help your peer understand what to do next. Hearing ‘Good work!’ is always nice, but it does not specify why something is good or how it can be improved.

Be respectful: An honest and respectful way to communicate with your peers is by providing constructive feedback. What is constructive feedback?

Constructive feedback is suggesting areas for improvement, while explaining why this feedback is being offered and how it can be implemented.

Compliments: It is always nice to give compliments, but compliments are not necessarily feedback. We want our feedback to be geared towards improvement. In saying this, it is a good idea to highlight a strength or two before moving into constructive feedback. Sometimes it is a useful practice to highlight a peer’s strengths and make connections to future steps.

When offering (and receiving) feedback on SpacesEDU, maintain an open line of communication. There is no set limit on the number of comments that can be added to post. Sometimes feedback is best understood over time, with multiple responses and engagement.