Teach Peer Feedback
Peer feedback can be powerful for learning, but only if students do a good job at it. Analyze and critique can be higher critical thinking levels than doing the task in the first place. I guarantee if you ask students to give peer feedback the quality of the feedback will not be awesome. This does not mean they can not give high quality feedback, it means they need to be taught.
The Assignment is the Feedback
Give students a task. Ask them not to give feedback but rather “help your peer get better.” When reviewing the assignment later the focus and feedback is not on the task but rather on the feedback. Have students analyze the quality the feedback and what would be a better feedback comment.
After discovering that many students were into watching the Office we had them watch a clip of the stapler in Jello. Using large paper around the room (affixed with painters tape) the students wrote a summary of the clip. Step to the right. Provide peer feedback on how the summary could be better. Move to another poster. Is the peer feedback helpful? If yes, put a large check on it. Have a share out about the feedback.
After class, we typed up the peer feedback (not the summaries) into a spreadsheet.
Template
Using the Template
Start with the spreadsheet template and put the peer feedback in column A. If you had students use a Google Form to submit the peer feedback copy and paste the feedback into column A.
Notice the menu “Make Lists” next to the help menu. It may take several minutes for the code to load and the menu to show up. Choose “Sort” from the list to randomly sort the feedback list.
Note: You will need to authorize the script. You are giving YOURSELF permission to access your Drive and spreadsheets. Click on “Advanced” and then at the bottom “Unsafe” (it’s safe, I coded it myself).
This will randomly sort the feedback.
Make Lists
Use the menu to choose “Make Lists.” This will create a Google Doc that is multiple pages to allow you to PRINT ON PAPER the feedback samples for multiple groups. Click here for a sample Google Doc.
In small groups have the students discuss what makes good peer feedback and how these comments could be more helpful.
Send to Slides
If instead of printing the Google Doc to paper you want a digital solution I have added an option to “Make Slides.” This will take all of the peer feedback comments in column A and create a single Google Slides. Each feedback comment randomly sorted and placed on it’s own slide. Share the Google Slides with the entire class with edit access.
Students or groups can claim a slide and put their name in the placeholder text under the comment. On the right hand side the student/group can explain how to make the feedback more meaningful.
1 thought on “Teach Students How to Give Peer Feedback”
One of the best way to give feedback to someone on their work. This is of course also the case when it comes to giving feedback.Ask your students to “give feedback on the feedback” that they receive.