Peer Reviews and Post Replies... Facilitating Effective Student-to-Student Interactions

So you have this great idea... you'll exercise your students' critical thinking skills while asking themto apply what they learned in class by having them complete peer reviews. Nice! Just make sure to work out all the kinks so that the process goes as smoothly as you had hoped.

The Scenario:

I developed a project for my Teaching Online students that involved completing an assignment, posting the assignment to a Blackboard discussion board, and reviewing one other student's assignment. I also specified that students should review work that has no feedback before reviewing any assignments that have already been reviewed. Not only are the students required to reflect carefully on their own assignments, but they are asked to make effort on behalf of their classmates. One of the nice things about projects like this is that if an online community has been developed, students will put extra effort into their peer reviews, because it is not solely about the grade... it's also about helping another community member attain success.

Challenges:

Peer reviews require completed assignments to be reviewed. Only two students were able to complete their assignments well before the due date (Sunday night at 11:59pm); the rest submitted their work late Sunday night, which means that only two people were able to review those assignments, following the directions specified above. Other students were forced to review assignments that already had reviews or face the penalty of late assignment completion. (Of course, I don't penalize my students for being unable to complete the assignment as specified, but I don't let my students know that: A core goal in this class is to develop sensitivity to course structure, delivery, and expectations, and recognize how these factors affect  students.) Students who regularly go above and beyond will most certainly review some of the later submissions, even if they had already reviewed one of the original two, but since we can't count on that, potentially there could be students who receive no peer feedback.

Solutions:

Although many online courses are run by week, you may want to create a midweek deadline for any assignments or discussion threads that need peer reviews or replies. This way, students know that after that deadline, there will be plenty of fodder for their critique, and they can schedule their participation around that date.

Part of the value of this activity is the autonomy to choose the assignment to review (which can mean a wide selection of topics and areas of interest.) Students are often more engaged with an assignment when they have an element of choice. However, depending on your subject matter and class dynamic, it may make sense to assign students as partners. When the students know that they are accountable to one another, they will more likely complete their assignments on time so that their partner will have an assignment to work from. Again, this kind of camaraderie and accountability is more affective when effort was made to build classroom community.

Finally, if for some reason there is a student who does not receive a peer review, I may offer extra credit to students who review any remaining assignments that still need feedback, and I may contact individual students to ask them personally for their feedback. Some students may reluctantly turn me down due to time constraints, but generally, students are flattered that their teacher counts on them when help is needed and want to go the extra mile for that reason. Often times, this personal requests lead to even more commitment on the part of the student because s/he feels personally invested in the course and its success.

Is Building Community Really That Important?

Are We Over-Catering to Students?

One may argue that in the workforce, no one "builds community" for you as the employee. You're usually thrown in to fend for yourself. So why should we make so many accommodations for our students? Are we doing them a disservice by treating them in a manner that is different than what they will experience in a work environment? Are we setting them up for hard lessons later in life?

It's All About Your Course Goals

I guess then it's a matter of your course goals and objectives, and what you want the students to walk away with. Is the goal of the course to prepare the students for what to expect in a professional environment? Then, I suppose yes, you want to give them an accurate experience. But if the goal is more so for them to learn certain content and to critically think about and apply that content, then community building does become important.

Vygotsky's "Zone of Proximal Development"

It all goes back to Vygotsky's "Zone of Proximal Development," which he defines as "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers." (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86) Collaborating with more knowledgeable individuals raises a student's learning potential far higher than she ever reach in isolation.

Employers Want Employees with Group Skills

Furthermore, one of the chief complaints employers have with young professionals is that they do not know how to work effectively in groups. Any guidance we can give them as instructors will better prepare them for the working world and will give them a leg up during the hiring process. Creating a safe and comfortable learning environment is the first step to successful group learning.

The Importance of Social Engagement in Online Learning

In terms of learning online, the social engagement is often what makes or breaks the class. Anyone can read resources or watch videos online. It is nice that an instructor curates those resources because then the student can trust that the resources are high quality and accurate. However, one of the core strengths of learning online is having the opportunity to interact with other students and with the instructor. A shy or quiet student has as much of a voice as the students who dominate in-person class discussions. Students have the chance to think critically and for as much time as they need before responding to a question or comment. Furthermore, groups of students tend to mix and interact, who otherwise may never speak to one another.

Work Cited:
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. 86