Peer Review offers a way for students to give and receive feedback on their essays. Use the menu on the left to learn more about the Peer Review feature of Utah Compose.
Creating and Managing Groups for Peer Review
To start using the Peer Review Tool, students must first be placed in a group.
Randomized Groups
- From the Find a Student page, click the Groups tab on the left side of the page.
- Click the Randomize button.
- Click the drop down menu, select the minimum number of students in each group between 2 and 5, and click Create Groups.
Note: If you have existing groups, these groups will be removed.
Customized Groups
- From the Find a Student page, click the Groups tab on the left side of the page.
- Click the Add button.
- Click inside the Students box and select students by clicking on each student name.
- Save the new group by clicking on the Add Group button.
Editing Existing Groups
- To edit a previously-created group, click the radio button next to the group name and then click the Edit button.
- To add students to the group, click inside the Students box and select students by clicking on each student name.
- To remove a student from a group, click the X in the upper right hand corner of the student's name.
- To change the name of a group, type the preferred name in the Name field. Click Save Changes.
- To delete a group, click the radio button next to the group name, then click the Remove button.
Requesting a Peer Review
Students can request a peer review from members of their group for one draft per essay by clicking on the Request button under the Peer Review section of the Score Report.
Can teachers hide student names during the peer review process?
Yes, the teacher can determine if the name of the peer reviewer and/or the author of the essay will be viewed by their group members. By default, the names of both author and reviewer are shown for all prompts. However, the teacher can hide the names of the reviewer and/or the author on a prompt-by-prompt basis. To hide student names, follow these steps:
- In the Peer Review section under the statement “For the reviewer, the name of the essay author will be…,” click on the drop down menu and select Hidden to keep the author’s name anonymous. In the Peer Review section under the statement “For the essay author, the name of the reviewer will be:” click on the drop down menu and select Hidden to keep the reviewer’s name anonymous.
- Repeat this process for each prompt for which the author or reviewer names should be hidden.
Receiving a Peer Review Request
When a group member logs in and selects a course, requests for peer review will appear at the top of the course page. Under the Pending Peer Reviews section at the bottom of the course home page, the student reviewer will see the date of the request, the name of the prompt, and the name of the author requesting the review. When the student submits the review, the message on the course homepage will disappear and a record of the peer review completion will be displayed in the student reviewer’s portfolio report.
Completing a Peer Review
To review the essay, the reviewer clicks on the prompt date. This is a link to an image of the prompt and the student essay, and a place to enter comments and submit the review.
Accessing Peer Review Comments
To read the reviewer's comments, the student can go to their course homepage and click on the Date link to see the completed reviews.
In the Portfolio tab, students will find a record of all peer reviews given and received by clicking on the Peer Reviews link in the Usage section and clicking the date link to read the review.
Can teachers see the peer reviews?
Yes, the teacher remains an active participant in the peer review process by monitoring the appropriate use of the tools available for students. The teacher can use the Usage report to view the status of reviews requested by the author, the number of pending reviews for each group member, and the comments provided by each peer reviewer. The teacher can also edit any inappropriate review by clicking on the Edit button in the bottom right corner of the review.
Complete Guide
The Peer Review Guide provides information for teachers regarding the set-up and facilitation of peer review within Utah Compose.