Peer review assignments can be powerful tools for encouraging student interaction, critical thinking, and reflection on course content. Canvas makes it easy to set up. Here are some effective strategies for designing peer reviews to get the most out of your students.
Strengths of Peer Review Work
- Excellent application of social constructivism learning theory
- Potential for building a sense of community
- Supports reflective learning and critical analysis
- Opportunity for negotiating various perspectives
- Revision benefits for learners and instructors
Defining Effective Peer Review Designs
An important aspect of effective peer review design is assignment structure. It is key for instructors to inform students which assignments involve peer review, outline the submission timeline, and explain how points will be allocated. Additionally, it can be helpful to provide students with a rubric to complete during their peer review, allowing them to check off each criterion as they go.
Role expectations are also important in peer review. The key roles include the assessor, the assessee, and the instructor. The relationship between these three roles is crucial for an effective peer review process. The assessor should understand the goals of the feedback they are expected to provide, while the instructor should offer clear guidance on what that feedback should include. The assessee can help guide the assessor by indicating the type of feedback they would like or the areas they want emphasized. It is critical that these roles are clearly defined early in the process and structured in a way that is most effective for both you and your students.
Want to learn more? Check out the recording of the training facilitated by Digital Learning Specialist James Butler
Here are some related training videos:
- Peer Review Assignments in Canvas Demo
- Creating Canvas Groups Demo
- Best Practices for Designing Online Group Assignments
- Best Practices for Online Group Work
Upcoming Events
Quick Hits: Grade Weights, Extra Credit, and Canvas Gradebook Settings
Thursday, April 23rd, 3-4 PM
This quick hit will cover helpful settings in the Canvas gradebook, including utilizing grade weights effectively and incorporating extra credit in your course.
Facilitated by Gray Jackson, Sr. Learning Tech Specialist.
Getting Started with Kaltura
Tuesday, May 5th, 3-4 PM
Join this session to learn about getting started with Kaltura, Clemson’s video storage solution! This training will cover how to access Kaltura, upload videos into Kaltura, create videos with Kaltura Express Capture and Kaltura Capture, and embed Kaltura videos into your Canvas courses.
Click here to register for this training or any others in our upcoming Kaltura series!
Facilitated by Gray Jackson, Sr. Learning Tech Specialist.
Clemson Online Spring 2026 Events Calendar
Review our Spring 2026 Events Calendar to see what Online Instruction Development opportunities await!
We have a robust lineup of topics and live training formats to support your use of Canvas and other e-learning tools. Topics cover demonstrations of using Kaltura, engaging your students, and workshops to get your Canvas site ready to teach!
All of our live training is recorded. Registrants will automatically receive a link to that day’s video after it has been processed.
Contact Millie Tullis with any questions regarding these sessions.
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