Reykjavik University is a vibrant, student-centered, university with an international faculty and students originating from all over the world. The core activities of the University are teaching and research with strong ties with industry and society, emphasizing interdisciplinary work, international context, innovation and service excellence.
Freyja Thoroddsen Sigurdardottir is a lecturer at the Department of Business and Economics at Reykjavik University, where she teaches marketing-related subjects and serves as the academic coordinator of internships. Currently pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching Studies for Higher Education at the University of Iceland, Freyja is particularly interested in gamification and active teaching methods, driven by her desire to make her own teaching more engaging.
Reykjavik University is a vibrant, student-centered, university with an international faculty and students originating from all over the world. The core activities of the University are teaching and research with strong ties with industry and society, emphasizing interdisciplinary work, international context, innovation and service excellence.
Freyja Thoroddsen Sigurdardottir is a lecturer at the Department of Business and Economics at Reykjavik University, where she teaches marketing-related subjects and serves as the academic coordinator of internships. Currently pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching Studies for Higher Education at the University of Iceland, Freyja is particularly interested in gamification and active teaching methods, driven by her desire to make her own teaching more engaging.
Freyja Thoroddsen Sigurðardóttir, a lecturer at Reykjavik University shares her story of using gamified elements in the peer review process to nurture feedback skills, critical thinking, and learner engagement.
This use case is based onFreyja’s presentation at inspirED 2024 Teaching and Learning Conference.
Peer review, at its core, is a powerful tool that empowers students to take an active role in their own learning journey. By providing structured feedback on their peers' work, students not only hone their critical thinking skills but also develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. However, the traditional peer review process can sometimes fall short in terms of student engagement and motivation. According to Freyja:
“I wanted to provide students with more formative feedback… But we all know that it can be challenging for us to provide them with both good quality and a good quantity of formative feedback throughout the semester. I wanted to find a solution to that. I wanted to strengthen their critical thinking skills.”
This is where gamification comes into play. As Freyja remarked: “Gamification has been shown to have a positive effect on engagement and motivation, both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. So it was something I felt curious about and wanted to explore further.”
Gamification, as Freyja explains, is the integration of game design elements, principles, and mechanics into educational contexts. By incorporating game-like features, such as points, badges, and leaderboards, educators can tap into students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, ultimately enhancing their engagement and participation.
In Freyja's case, she has implemented a gamified peer review system within her "Strategic Marketing Planning" course, an undergraduate program at the Department of Business and Economics at Reykjavik University. The course, which had between 17 and 26 students, provides an ideal environment for experimentation and implementation of this innovative approach. To further enhance the quality of the activity, Freyja utilized the FeedbackFruits Peer Review tool, due to its capacity in streamlining the peer review process.
The core of Freyja's gamified peer review system revolves around the "Teach Back" assignments, which account for 25% of the final course grade. These assignments require students to select a concept, theory, or method from the course textbook, create a detailed slide deck, and then "teach" the material to their peers and the instructor.
The gamified peer review component, which accounts for an additional 10% of the final grade, follows a structured process:
The gamification aspect of this process comes into play through the medal system. Students are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals based on the helpfulness of the reviews they provide to their peers. These medals translate into experience points (XP), which are then used to determine the student's final grade on the gamified peer review component.
Freyja's approach to gamified peer review goes beyond simply implementing a point-based system. She has carefully crafted a learning environment that encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and a genuine appreciation for the feedback process.
To achieve this, Freyja has implemented several strategies:
These efforts have helped to create a collaborative learning environment where students feel empowered to take an active role in their learning and the learning of their peers.
Freyja's gamified peer review approach has yielded promising results, both in terms of student engagement and learning outcomes. By analyzing the data collected through the FeedbackFruits Peer Review tool and the end-of-semester surveys, Freyja and her collaborators, John and Aron, have gained valuable insights into the effectiveness of this innovative approach.
Some of the key findings include:
Freyja also shared some positive reflections from her students:
“I liked that one part of the evaluation is based on peers. I’m usually not into competition but this version of giving out medals was fun.” – Anonymous student response
“It encourages students to be more thoughtful when giving the reviews.” – Anonymous student response
However, Freyja also acknowledges that the implementation of the gamified peer review system has not been without its challenges. Some students expressed frustration with the medal-awarding process, citing concerns about randomness and unfair evaluations. Freyja recognizes the need to address these issues and continues to refine the system based on student feedback and ongoing assessment.
Freyja's experience with gamified peer review has provided valuable lessons that can inform the implementation of similar initiatives in other educational contexts:
As Freyja looks to the future, she plans to continue refining and expanding the gamified peer review system within her "Strategic Marketing Planning" course. Additionally, she is exploring the potential to adapt this approach to other courses and disciplines, recognizing the broader applicability of gamification in enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes.
Freyja's pioneering work in gamified peer review serves as an inspiring example of how educators can harness the power of technology, game design, and collaborative learning to create transformative educational experiences. By fostering a culture of engaged and motivated students, Freyja's approach has the potential to inspire educators worldwide to rethink the way they approach feedback, assessment, and the overall learning process.
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