Peer/Group Assessment

Peer/Group Assessment

Peer and group assessment are active learning strategies where students evaluate and provide feedback on each other’s work, either individually (peer) or collaboratively (group). These methods can be formative or summative, and are widely used in higher education to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and self-regulated learning. 

Alternative/linked methods: Peer Feedback, Peer Review, Group Peer Review, Collaborative Assessment, Self and Peer Assessment (SPA), Peer Instruction 

Why?

• Enhances learning outcomes: Students improve their work through meaningful feedback and revision. 
• Develops critical thinking and metacognition: Engaging in evaluation deepens understanding of quality and process. 
• Builds feedback literacy: Students learn to give, receive, and act on feedback constructively. 
• Fosters collaboration and empathy: Group-based peer review encourages shared responsibility and mutual support. 

How?

• Align with learning outcomes and explain the rationale to students. 
• Use structured rubrics or templates. e.g. the Participation Rubric (Brookfield)
• Students assess peers’ work individually or in groups. 
• Provide guidance on how to assess and give feedback. 
• Allow time for students to revise based on peer and instructor feedback. 

When?

• In research methods or capstone projects (e.g., Bachelor’s essays, dissertations). 
• During draft stages of essays, reports, or presentations. 
• In STEM, health sciences, and education for evaluating problem-solving or research design.
• In writing-intensive or project-based courses. 
• In online, hybrid, or in-person learning environments. 

Get Started

• Use a rubric to guide structured feedback. 
• Assign peer or group reviewers based on topic, skill level, or randomly. 
• Use shared documents or Moodle tools for submission and feedback. 
• Incorporate peer/group review into grading (e.g., 5–10% of final grade). 
• Survey students post-activity to evaluate effectiveness and gather suggestions. 

Digital Enhancement

• Use platforms like Moodle, FeedbackFruits, or Turnitin PeerMark. 
• Conduct reviews asynchronously using shared documents or Moodle tools. 
• Use clickers or polling apps for real-time feedback (e.g., Mentimeter, Vevox or Kahoot!). 
• Provide video or audio feedback for richer interaction. 
• Ensure rubrics and instructions are clearly accessible online. 

Resources

• Agavekar, R., Bhore, P.A., Moharir, M., Kadam, H. and Bewoor, A. (2022) ‘Effective implementation of peer review as an active learning technique to attain course outcome: A case study’, Journal of Engineering Education Transformations, 36(Special Issue), pp. 63–72. 
• Aricò, F. (2016) ‘Promoting active learning through peer-instruction and self-assessment: A toolkit to design, support, and evaluate teaching’, Educational Developments, 17(4), pp. 1–6. 
• Fleckney, P., Thompson, J. and Vaz-Serra, P. (2025) ‘Designing effective peer assessment processes in higher education: A systematic review’, Higher Education Research & Development, 44(2), pp. 386–401. doi:10.1080/07294360.2024.2407083.
• Odom, S., Glenn, B., Sanner, S. and Cannella, K.A.S. (2009) ‘Group peer review as an active learning strategy in a research course’, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 21(1), pp. 108–117. 
• Reese-Durham, N. (2005) ‘Peer evaluation as an active learning technique’, Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32(4), pp. 338–343. 
• von Rosen, T. (2014) ‘Peer assessment as active learning method’, in Makar, K., de Sousa, B. and Gould, R. (eds.) Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS9). Flagstaff, Arizona: International Statistical Institute. Available at: https://iase-web.org/icots/9/proceedings/pdfs/ICOTS9_C172_VONROSEN.pdf