THEME: Eduflow and Peer feedback - an interview with a teacher from BSS

Question: How do you use Peer feedback in your teaching?

"I actually use Peer feedback both in connection with the students’ oral presentations and now also in connection with their written submissions. In the last case, when one student has uploaded his submission, he/she in return gets allocated two random submissions by fellow students. Each student must upload written feedback to two fellow students within a certain deadline, fixed by me. Finally, the student finishes the loop by giving feedback to the feedback he/she him-/herself has received. I call it FF – Feedback to Feedback. This way you prevent people from neglecting their feedback task. It would be an overwhelming task for the teachers to read assignments and give written feedback to each student with the same frequency, that is possible via Eduflow. I now have access to all assignments and can quickly get an overview of what needs to be improved, and, based on this I prepare general comments that I can discuss with the students in class".

Question: Have you as a teacher set out guidelines for the students, for giving feedback?

"Yes, I have prepared short guidelines on how to give helpful feedback, that the other student can learn from. It can be difficult to give feedback. It requires training. Away from the university the students must be prepared to engage in all sorts of relations and connections, where they are expected to meet the achievements of other people with polite, collegial respect and at the same time with a critical look. This is a very important element on the course. But when you ask about guidelines, you may be thinking of the pre-formulated so-called ‘rubrics’, that we can give to the students?"

[Interviewer: "Yes, precisely"]

"Well, okay – ‘Rubrics’ give the students the possibility of marking according to pre-formulated goals. For instance, to what extent is a certain question answered. I have read a number of ‘rubrics’ and have been inspired by them. They are good, but sociologists are educated in asking the right questions according to a given situation and purpose. Therefore, I have worked out a tailor-made feedback-guide which will be meaningful to my students". 

Question: Do the students know who they are giving feedback, and from who they receive feedback?

"No. Everybody is anonymous – both the student that gives feedback, and the one that receives feedback. 

Question: How do you decide who shall give and receive feedback?

 "I leave that to the Eduflow algoritm. I do not have to do anything. Other than have confidence in the programme". 

Question: Can you tell us a little about the advantages of the students giving Peer feedback?

"There are so many advantages. They learn a lot from seeing good and less good examples of assignment answers. If they are not given that opportunity, they will find themselves alone with their answer, not knowing if it resembles the other students’ answers. In other words: They will never know if their answer was ‘within the disc’. Therefore, Eduflow actually gives the students a new safety and peace of mind. I don’t think we should underestimate the value of seeing other students’ answers and having this chance of inspiration. The students can – to put it bluntly – steal with arms and legs – but legally. They can import and test their fellow students’ good wordings. They improve their writing skills when they can see the arguments and replies of other students".

Question:  How do the students respond when they are told that it is not you, their teacher, who is going to give them feedback, but their fellow students?

 "In my case the students are 1st semester students, and they have no other experiences with feedback at SDU. Therefore, working with Peer feedback has been unproblematic and I am pretty sure that the students can see the point".

Question:  How is your workload now, compared to the case if you should have given individual feedback on written assignments?

"It is clearly a smaller workload than if I myself should have given feedback to each student. I set the bar high and Peer feedback is a great help. I am convinced that by using Peer feedback we get better final projects for the students. They know how to write, and they know it quickly. First and foremost, it is a great help for them".

Question: How did you get started on Eduflow, as a tool to work with Peer feedback, and feedback on feedback?

"It all started when I met a student who told me about his learning by using Peergrade. I have recently completed a Lecturer Training Programme, and I have so many ambitions I want to implement in my teaching. Most important: I want to boost the students’ learning, make them feel safe and give them the wish to test and investigate. I was determined to introduce Peergrade and was expecting many hours of preparation and had already spent time on tutorials on the internet. But when I contacted SDU about licenses and about my challenges, I received an immense amount of support from the Faculty above all expectations. BSS has a digitalisation and quality e-learning hub that is available anytime. They gave me a quick introduction to Eduflow, and they participated in class and got the students prepared. I am very happy with all the support I got. I am a new assistant professor at SDU and am not yet familiar with SDU’s procedures, but when I have sent out emails about my didactic ambitions, asking for help, I have more or less been taken by the hand and given expert support about e-learning tools".