From student input to institution-wide adoption at the University of Arizona

How the University of Arizona evaluated peer review solutions with student voice and Quality Matters

Rather than relying solely on faculty or administrative input, the University of Arizona places students at the centre of instructional technology decisions through the Student Advisory Board for Instructional Technology (SABIT).

The board consists of 10 elected undergraduate and graduate students, including student government representatives. The group meets four times per year and plays a formal advisory role to institutional leadership.

“The Student Advisory Board meets with our team regularly to provide invaluable feedback on the technologies being considered.”
Samantha Maxwell, Instructional Technologist

To evaluate peer review solutions, the instructional design team established a four step evaluation process grounded in Quality Matters standards. Students assessed tools not only on usability, but also on whether they supported the learning design expectations required for high quality online courses.

The process included:

• students explored shortlisted tools independently
  
• students completed surveys aligned with QM criteria
  
• the instructional design team analysed qualitative and quantitative themes
  
• findings informed course design guidance, training strategy, and tool selection
  
  

“The QM standards were used as the key framework to evaluate the tools that would enter the main evaluation by the Student Advisory Board.”
Michelle Vonie, Instructional Designer

Across multiple review cycles, one message was consistent: students valued peer interaction, but felt it was not well supported by existing workflows.

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The pilot: testing FeedbackFruits for Peer Review at scale

FeedbackFruits was evaluated as a feedback workflow that could connect Peer Review, reflection, and educator feedback within a structured learning flow.

FeedbackFruits Peer Review entered a nine month pilot (August 2023 to May 2024), alongside another peer review solution under consideration (Kritik)

During the pilot, students engaged with FeedbackFruits through:

• independent exploration of the platform
  
• live sandbox activities during advisory board meetings
  
• qualitative reflections and structured surveys
  
  

By the end of the pilot period, FeedbackFruits stood out in three areas.

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What stood out during the pilot

A clearer and more connected student experience

Students highlighted how structured and intuitive the peer review flow felt, especially compared with more disconnected and asynchronous approaches.

“Students talked about how easy it was to get paired with a fellow student, know exactly what they were reading, know exactly what they were saying, and know where to find their feedback. That level of clarity had never been there before.”
Samantha Maxwell, Instructional Technologist

Students also reported that detailed rubric criteria helped them move beyond generic comments and provide more specific, constructive feedback.

Solutions used

• Peer Review for peer allocation and structured steps
• Rubrics and criteria to guide actionable feedback
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Alignment with Quality Matters and accessibility expectations

Accessibility was a major concern for students, particularly given past issues with the university’s previous peer review tool.

“We collected student data on accessibility after they explored FeedbackFruits and the support pages and then actually used the software itself.”
Michelle Vonie, Instructional Designer

Students responded positively to the clean interface, single sign on (SSO), and LMS integration, supporting clarity and consistency aligned with Quality Matters expectations.

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Supporting authentic assessment and engagement

The instructional team needed technology that could support authentic peer learning rather than simple submission workflows. Alongside Peer Review, FeedbackFruits offers additional activity types such as Interactive Study Materials and Discussions to support learner engagement

“We focused primarily on peer to peer interaction, but instructor to student interaction was also important, and FeedbackFruits helps facilitate both.”
Michelle Vonie, Instructional Designer

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Implementation and adoption

Following the pilot, student endorsement and pedagogical alignment accelerated adoption across the institution.

“Every week, there are tens and tens of new people signing up.”
Samantha Maxwell, Instructional Technologist

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To support the transition, the university assigned a dedicated FeedbackFruits lead to help educators rebuild activities and ensure quality implementation. This was supported by workshops, targeted resources, and ongoing support from the FeedbackFruits team.

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Impact

The student led evaluation and phased implementation delivered value across multiple levels.

For students

• clearer peer interaction workflows
• improved accessibility compared to previous tools
• more structured and actionable peer feedback

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For educators

• consistent, rubric driven feedback design
• scalable peer review workflows for large cohorts
• reduced reliance on fragmented external tools

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At an institutional level

• a Quality Matters aligned feedback and assessment approach
• LMS integrated workflows that scale across programmes
• a repeatable, student informed model for technology adoption

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“FeedbackFruits rose to the top based on students’ comments to us, even before broader system decisions were made.”
Michelle Vonie, Instructional Designer

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A long term partnership

Today, the University of Arizona uses FeedbackFruits as a campus wide solution to support peer learning and scalable feedback and assessment across online programmes.

Melody J. Buckner, Associate Vice Provost, highlighted the alignment between the platform and the university’s mission to empower faculty with innovative methods for interactive teaching, peer assessment, and personalised feedback.

By combining student voice, Quality Matters alignment, and a pedagogically grounded feedback and assessment workflow, the University of Arizona continues to strengthen a sustainable model for feedback and assessment at scale.

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Watch the video to know more!

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