Using Peer Feedback for Student Academic Achievement : What works & What doesn't

Using Peer Feedback for Student Academic Achievement concerns, formally speaking, with students' understanding and evaluation of peer's academic performance as well as their own for self-regulated learning, has recently drawn increasing scholarly attention. However, we still know little about how to foster student feedback in useful ways. 

Of the several issues for student feedback mechanism to effectively work, the first and foremost may be student feedback literacy. In other words, the question of how well students can provide valid feedback to their peers depends on:

1. first of all, how well students are trained and equipped to actually evaluate peer's academic progress and
2. secondly, how well student can express themselves both verbally and in writing and whether or not they have the language and knowledge to do so

However, the question of this bolg here is whether students provide each other some academic feedback at all. The answer is YES, particularly surrounding the issues around the assessments of their course. McDonnell and Curtis (2014) collected data from focus group interviews and reflective commentaries by students and teachers. They report that students provide each other feedback which is value-based, fairness-centred and is an emotionally dynamic process. They thereby became more engaged in the assessments. This democratic feedback process also increased the students’ self-confidence in challenging others’ perspectives and defending their own views, thus building their sense of identity as competent reviewers. In addition, this feedback processes, though done informally, facilitated students’ understanding of assessment criteria very well.