Learning activity

Transformative Learning: Peer review on 1st draft of essay

Prompt students to reflect on their thoughts, emotions, and biases about dilemmas or real-world issues through personal essays, and deepen their learning with peer feedback

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Created by:

Marion Marx

ESSEC Business School

Pedagogy

Peer Review

Learning outcome

Critical thinking

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:

Question personal assumptions and cognitive biases

Students examine their initial reactions and biases to a complex issue, exploring how past experiences shaped their views, fostering openness and self-awareness.

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Perspective-taking and critical empathy

By engaging with peers’ essays, students explore diverse viewpoints, practice critical empathy, and foster respectful, thoughtful dialogue.

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Reflective practice

Through self-assessment and feedback, students see how peer and teacher input shapes their learning, challenges or affirms their thinking, and fosters openness to new ideas.

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Activity setup

Activity steps Activity goals Tools used In this activity

Transformative Learning: Peer review on 1st draft of essay

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Activity steps

Read instructions: Students carefully review the instructions and learning outcomes of the activity.
Submission: Students submit the 1st draft of a personal essay reflecting on their thoughts regarding a classroom discussion conducted prior to this activity
Provide peer feedback: Students review their peers essays using a predefined assessment grid and complete a self-assessment based on the same criteria.
Received reviews and feedback-on-feedback: Students read their received feedback and rate it on a usefulness scale of 1 to 10, with optional written clarification‍
Grading: Grades are based on students uploading their essays, completing giving feedback to their peers, reading their own feedback and giving feedback on their peers feedback

Learning Activities Used

Peer Review

Stimulate lifelong learning with peer feedback

In this activity

While it can be used individually, this activity is part of the Transformative Learning learning journey.

A general assessment grid is provided to guide students with giving each other feedback on their essays. This can be customize or expand as needed.

Students will also provide a rating and comment on the feedback they received from their peers, to help them reflect on what makes good feedback and if the feedback they received was helpful to them.
Grading is turned on to ensure all students provide feedback to their peers and reflect on their own feedback.

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