TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What are Qualitative Peer Assessments?
• Create a Peer Review Assessment
• The Peer Review Timeline
  • Submission Period
  • Distribution of Submissions for Peer Review
  • Peer Review Period
• Grade a Peer Review Assignment

What are Qualitative Peer Assessments?

Peer assessment allows students to review their classmates’ work through criteria-based evaluation. Students provide and receive constructive feedback, reflect on that feedback, and revise their work in response to the feedback. 

Use peer assessments to:

• Promote reflection, critical thinking, and metacognitive skills.
• Enhance feedback, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Encourage high-quality work and equitable participation.
• Provide students with richer, more actionable feedback from multiple viewpoints.
• Mirror real-world processes, allowing students to practice critiquing others in a professional manner. 
• Reduce grading burden and improves assessment accuracy.

In a Blackboard Ultra course, you can easily create a Peer Review Assignment using the Assignment tool. The Peer Assessment in Blackboard Ultra tutorial video will walk you through the process of creating a Peer Assessment.

Create a Peer Review Assessment

To create a Peer Review Assignment, click on the + button anywhere on your Course Content page, within a Learning Module, or within a Folder. Select Create and then select Assignment.

Give your Peer Review Assignment a name and enter the instructions. Use the Text/Content Editor to add any relevant links, images, attachments, and videos.

Next, click on the Assignment Settings (gear icon) to open the settings. This is where you will add the Peer Review dates, assignment points, etc.

Scroll down to the Grading & Submissions area and check the option for Peer Review. Then click on the Select Peer Settings link to add your peer review settings.

Select the number of reviews per student. Reviewers are assigned randomly and automatically. 

Next, enter the Assessment Due Date (the date the students should submit their assignment) and the Peer Review Due Date (the date students should complete their peer reviews). 

The Peer Review Date should come after the Assessment Due Date. The peer review process starts immediately after the Assessment Due Date. Late submissions are accepted and will be distributed to any unassigned reviewers.

Click Save to save your changes. 

Update any remaining Assignment settings, including the number of points, or attach a grading rubric. Please note that the grading rubric is only for instructors - peer reviewers will not be able to access the attached rubric.

The Peer Review Timeline

Unlike other Assignments, Peer Review Assignments have a more distinct timeline.

Submission Period

The Submission Period is the time before the Assessment Due Date. Students should submit their assignment during this time.  

Students will submit their peer review assignment much like any other assignment. However, in order to ensure that they remain anonymous to their peers, students should not include their name on their submission.

Distribution of Submissions for Peer Review

Once students submit their assignment, their submission will be distributed to their peers for review. Please note that:

• Students cannot review their peers' submissions until the Peer Review Period has started (after the Assessment Due Date).
• Students cannot start reviewing their peers' submissions until they submit their own work, even if the Peer Review Period has already started.
• If students submit their assignment after the Assessment Due Date, their submission will be distributed to any available reviewers. However, late submissions may not end up receiving the minimum number of reviews.

Submissions are distributed to students automatically and randomly. When a student chooses to begin a new peer review, another student's submission is randomly pulled from the pool of submissions. This method allows for greater flexibility, especially if students submit their assignment late.

Peer Review Period

The Peer Review Period starts immediately after the Assessment Due Date. At this time, students can go back to the assignment and start their peer reviews. 

Students will see the Assigment instructions and their's peer's assignment for review. Once they have read their peer's submission, they can use the Feedback box to provide feedback to their peer.

Students will not see the names of the students they are reviewing or the names of the students reviewing their work. However, the instructor will be able to see the names of the reviewers.

Students should complete the required number of peer reviews before the Peer Review Due Date. Even once the Peer Review Due Date has passed, students will not be able to review their peers' feedback until the instructor has reviewed the work and posted the grade.

Grade a Peer Review Assignment

Throughout the peer review process, instructors can monitor student progress from the assignment's Submissions tab. Instructors can see who has submitted their assignment, their grading status, the status of their peer reviews, and their grade.

Once you are ready to grade, click on a student's name to open their submission and reviews.

Review the student's submission. You may use the Bb Annotate options at the top of the submission to highlight text, add comments, zoom in or out, use freehand drawing tools, and more. For more information and detailed instructions, refer to the Bb Annotate support article or watch the Annotate in Blackboard Learn tutorial video.

Below the student's submission you may find the feedback that they gave their peers. You can see which students they reviewed and review the feedback.

In the Feedback Panel, you can review the feedback other students have provided, give your own feedback, and assign the student a grade.

Once you have finished grading, Post your grades. Students will not be able to review their peers' feedback until the grades are posted.