Assessment: using peers without damaging reliability

• Use peer assessment mainly as formative. For summative use:
  • Combine peer scores with teacher moderation and self-evaluation.
  • Sample-check peer marks and give feedback about feedback quality.
• Train students with anchored exemplars before they judge.
• Monitor standard deviation: large spread in peer scores signals need for more calibration.

Digital & remote-friendly options

• Think–Pair–Share via breakout rooms (2–3 mins). Give a clear prompt and a reporting task.
• Jigsaw using shared docs: each expert group edits a shared page; home groups synthesize.
• Peer Instruction with polling tools (Poll Everywhere, Kahoot, LMS quizzes); follow same discussion/reauthoring cycle.
• Peer review in LMS: enable rubrics and double-blind submission where possible.

Dealing with common problems

• Social loafing: set individual accountability (individual quiz, role logs, or short reflection).
• Dominant students: rotate roles; assign the dominant student a “devil’s advocate” role or coach role.
• Quiet/withdrawn students (rejected/unstable): begin with paired tasks, private praise, and scaffolded roles that let them contribute in small ways; build their confidence before public reports.
• Misconceptions reinforced: circulate and listen to group talk, use whole-class debrief to correct misconceptions revealed by peer discussion.
• Low-quality feedback: model, scaffold, and give meta-feedback on feedback (show examples of good feedback).

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