Over the course of 15 weeks, this class in the Korean language program at Cornell University focussed mainly on developing intermediate reading and writing skills for Korean heritage students. With a survey on student needs at the beginning, and feedback opportunities throughout, learner autonomy was promoted, giving space for self-regulation and the development of critical thinking through the evaluation of each other’s work.
Prior to using FeedbackFruits, each student received feedback on each assignment with a red pen from the instructor, however “it was exhausting grading every day without seeing much improvement”. The instructor decided to let students “focus on their own errors to let them improve their own writing”, using the Peer Review tool to bring student-to-student feedback processes into effect. The result: decreased instructor workload, positive student responses and improved written work.
Developing language skills relies heavily on communication, both between instructors and students, and between students themselves. In this full-time class, students met 3 times a week and completed diverse homework assignments to refine their knowledge of Korean language and culture, with feedback activities providing a chance for students to review each other’s work.
Activity example: Homework composition – A short writing assignment with 8 instances across the course
Assignment requirements:
Students’ overall grade was based on a variety of components such as active in-class participation, various types of homework, quizzes, projectsm and an e-portfolio. Homework compositions were peer-graded with Peer Review, accounting for 6% of the students’ total grade.
"I really like the support - it’s personal and a quick response. Whenever I have a question I have an instant useful response, so I really appreciate that." - Meejeong Song (Senior Lecturer of Asian Studies at Cornell University)
Individual feedback is a time-consuming process but one which is essential to improvement in language and writing skills. However, instead of the instructor being responsible for all of this feedback, students can benefit from taking this analysis and evaluation into their own hands, guided by a comprehensive rubric. Not only does this promote students’ critical thinking and autonomy, it also reduces the workload for the instructor. More feedback can be generated in less time. Furthermore, instructors can overview this student feedback and identify points to discuss in synchronous sessions, maximising the use of face-to-face time while providing guidance in asynchronous assignments.
Publishing grades from the activity straight to Canvas Gradebook was reported to be another time-saver, compared to previously having to manually input grades. This synchronization also works where Canvas uses a different scoring system than that used in Peer Review; FeedbackFruits tools automatically convert percentages from the activity into whichever scoring system is set in the LMS Gradebook.
"My workload reduced thanks to FeedbackFruits." - Meejeong Song (Senior Lecturer of Asian Studies at Cornell University)
Learn how NHL Stenden made the transition from traditional portfolios to a streamlined, user-friendly approach that enables students to concentrate more fully on learning
Learn how instructors at ESSEC Business School utilized pedagogical tools and AI to transform formative assessment in large student cohorts
Discover how instructors at Reyjkavic University used gamification to enhance the peer review process