Can be used in any discipline

Peer feedback on first draft essays

Author: 
Roseanne Quinnell
Institution: 
The University of Sydney
Year Level: 
Second Year
Key Assessment Issue Addressed: 

Peer Feedback

Feedback on assessment is an important tool for students to improve both the style and content of a task. This initiative gives students the opportunity to submit draft essays written on their own choice of topic to be peer assessed. Drafts are sorted and coded for anonymity and each student 'marks' the essay of two of their peers, not knowing to whom the essays belongs. Students are given no guidelines as to what to look for, but are quite good at commenting on thought flow, writing style and general structure after having had the same done for them for the past 15 years or so.