Learning activity

Clarity through feedback:  A physics peer review workshop

Guide students through structured peer feedback to build feedback literacy and efficiently produce clear, evidence-based team deliverables.

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Created by:

Fanny Tsai

UC Irvine

Pedagogy

Peer Review

Learning outcome

Prep time

Intermediate (10-30 min)

Activity type

Learning Activity

Why this learning activity?

Learning activities targeting high-order skills like this one can help you activate students more effectively. This learning activity will help you with:

Analyze evidence in context

Students will compare plausible explanations, weigh evidence, and justify a conclusion using relevant concepts and data.

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Construct and communicate arguments

Students will produce a concise brief or slide deck with a labeled visual that presents a clear claim supported by evidence and reasoning.

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Evaluate and improve through peer review

Students will apply a structured rubric to provide constructive, evidence-based feedback on peers’ work and integrate insights to plan targeted revisions.

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Activity setup

Activity steps Activity goals Tools used In this activity

Clarity through feedback:  A physics peer review workshop

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Activity steps

Read instructions: Students carefully review the instructions and learning outcomes of the activity.
Submission: Students choose one of the two provided essay titles, pick a side, and write a short, well-structured essay supporting their position with evidence and reasoning.
Provide peer feedback: Students are assigned two peers’ essays to review. Using the provided marking criteria, evaluate their arguments, clarity, and use of evidence, providing specific, balanced, and professional feedback.
Received reviews and feedback-on-feedback: Students read the feedback they received from peers and rate its usefulness on a scale of 1 to 10, with optional written clarification.‍
Grading: Grades are based on completing the peer review process.

Learning Activities Used

Peer Review

Stimulate lifelong learning with peer feedback

In this activity

Structured rubrics are provided to guide students in giving clear, constructive, and consistent feedback.
Submitter and reviewer anonymity is enabled, encouraging honest and unbiased feedback, though this can be adjusted if preferred.
Feedback-on-feedback is enabled, allowing students to rate the usefulness of feedback received and provide clarification.
Students are assigned to review two peer essays, which can be adjusted based on class size or course needs.
Professional language expectations are highlighted, emphasizing respectful and actionable feedback that mirrors real-world workplace communication standards.