Improve Academic Performance by 35% with Peer Learning

35% Performance Gains For At-Risk Students University of Manitoba Poster Session on Authentic Assessment at Scale

March 25, 2024

Adopting one peer review assignment in your course can lead to a significant improvement in academic performance. When students are given the opportunity to submit first drafts of papers, lab reports, presentations, or any other type of constructive assignments, research shows that final drafts will be of significantly better quality. Biology instructors Kevin Scott and Cassandra Debets at the University of Manitoba explored the effectiveness of peer review in improving student performance and promoting authentic assessment in their first-year and third-year courses. 

Using Peerceptiv, 1,167 first-year students and 10 groups of third-year students anonymously submitted drafts of their lab reports, reviewed classmates’ work, and made revisions before final submission. The results were striking: first-year students saw an average of 18% performance improvement from draft to final submission. Even more noteworthy is the significant leap in performance observed among students at risk of failure, with an average grade improvement of 35% for those initially scoring below 60% on their drafts.

Poster from Cassandra Debets and Kevin Scott of the University of Manitoba describing results of implementing Peerceptiv into first-year and third-year biology courses. A staggering 1,167 first-year students submitted assignment drafts for peer review. Leveraging peer review promotes collaborative learning while addressing the challenge of offering authentic assessment in high-enrollment courses, ultimately contributing to improved academic outcomes for a large cohort of students.

When comparing the evaluations made by peers with those made by TAs on the same drafts, University of Manitoba researchers found no statistically meaningful variations in the assessments provided. This finding further validates over a decade of previous research indicating that evaluations by multiple peers, as facilitated by Peerceptiv, align closely with those conducted by a single expert instructor.

This study by the University of Manitoba highlights how Peerceptiv enhances academic outcomes in any discipline at any scale, even in the largest enrollment courses. In a research-validated peer review process, instructors can feel confident knowing each student will receive the feedback they need to improve, addressing the challenge of offering authentic assessment in high-enrollment courses. The learning gains seen in students at risk of not completing their coursework directly translate into improved retention and completion rates, lowering costs for the institution. 

To get started contact info@peerceptiv.com for more information or go to app.peerceptiv.com to set up an instructor account. 

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