Peer Review Using peerScholar

“peerScholar is an evidence-based peer assessment platform that supports the development of core transferable skills like critical thought, creative thought, and effective communication.”

Steve Joordens – peerScholar

Like other peer review and peer assessment platforms, peerScholar provides an avenue for students to think critically and communicate with others. It also provides instructors with an opportunity to help students to learn effectively from the feedback process.

peerScholar makes peer review activities easy to set up, implement, and grade! Better yet – it is integrated with Brightspace and available in every course site.

Peer Review Phases in peerScholar

The peer review process in peerScholar consists of three phases: Create, Assess, and Reflect. Please note that other peer review platforms/tools may use different terminology.

In Phase 1 (Create), students create and submit a digital composition (text, audio, video, images etc.) for their peers to review and provide feedback.

In Phase 2 (Assess), students assess other students’ submissions and provide feedback.

In Phase 3 (Reflect), students reflect critically on the feedback that they receive from their peers and determine how they will use it to improve their work. Resubmitting a revised assignment for the instructor to review is an optional part of this phase.

Creating a peerScholar Assignment in Brightspace

peerScholar is fully integrated with your Brightspace course site. In the Content area of the course, you can set up a link that will launch peerScholar and open the associated activity. When students click the link, peerScholar will launch, and they will be brought directly into the active phase of the activity. Integration also syncs the Brightspace and peerScholar classlist and the grade book.

Creating a peerScholar activity involves the following steps:

  1. Add a peerScholar activity to your Brightspace course.
  2. Configure the peerScholar activity.
  3. Facilitate the peerScholar activity.
  4. Customize grading.

For details on each step, please use the sidebar menu.

Grading Tools

peerScholar provides many tools for grading including:

  • A suite of assessment types for peer reviewers, instructors, and TAs
  • A grading area for instructors
  • A gradebook
  • Avenues to include peer ratings
  • Avenues to assign participation marks

See also Grading.

Information for Students

In addition to setting up a link to peerScholar in your Brightspace course, instructors can provide information about peer review and peerScholar in the course content. See Creating a Peer Review Assignment on the Instructional Resources website.