As a music composition student, I was frequently required to have my works performed in front of my classmates. They were then to provide feedback regarding the piece. Sometimes they were required to provide notes regarding things they were hearing. Other times they used a feedback sheet provided by the professor. Oftentimes they provided verbal feedback regarding what worked and what didn’t work. Those feedback sessions were used to make the music I was writing better.
That process I went through in the performing arts many years ago is very similar to the peer assessment process author Susan M. Brookhart writes about in the book Classroom Assessment Essentials. Brookhart shares the following types of peer assessment (pp.46-47):
- Written feedback. Students are encouraged to ask questions, identify strengths, express concerns, and suggest improvements in their written feedback. Some of the many examples of this type of feedback include Two Stars and a Wish, Stars and Stairs, Glow and Grow, and rubrics.
- Scaffolded feedback with a form. Students complete a feedback form provided by the teacher. The teacher can provide specific areas for feedback and can provide a few feedback starter prompts. Such a form is helpful if students have difficulty generating feedback in a free-writing open format.
- Dialog. Many students like talking with each other. The social interaction creates many opportunities for feedback regarding student work. The teacher can arrange for dialog sessions in an open format or can provide prompts to be covered during the discussion.
As you prepare for the week ahead, think of ways that you might incorporate peer assessment and peer feedback into your classroom. Such feedback has the opportunity to further strengthen the learning, and you and your students will be glad you made the effort!
Phil Harrison Coaching 