Feedback and peer assessment processes are processes in which learners provide one another with evaluations of learning processes and products, typically based on criteria that were jointly established in advance. These processes usually include observing, reading, or listening to peers’ work; identifying strengths and challenges; and providing constructive, forward-looking feedback that includes suggestions for improvement. At times, learners respond to the feedback they receive, which may strengthen reflective discourse and deepen all participants’ understanding of both learning and teaching.
Research indicates that feedback and assessment processes enable learners to become active participants in defining evaluation criteria and encourage them to better understand the value of these processes. Students’ involvement in assessment and feedback supports their understanding of the subject matter, as well as the development of a range of skills, including critical thinking and social-emotional competencies, such as the ability to give and receive constructive feedback. Peer feedback enables mutual learning, fosters a sense of communal responsibility, and encourages learners to develop awareness of their own learning as well as that of others. Conceptualizing feedback as an integral part of the learning process—rather than solely as a tool for summative evaluation—allows students to learn through ongoing practice, in which challenges are perceived as opportunities for learning and improvement. When implemented with intentional pedagogical guidance, these processes may be as effective as, or even more effective than, feedback provided by the teacher.
This principle can be implemented by concluding classroom learning through presentations of learning processes and products, whereby learners share their work and provide feedback to one another based on agreed-upon criteria. In various citizen science initiatives, such as “The Great Bird Count” and “Sleep – One Third of Life”. learners are often involved in collecting, organizing, and analyzing data. Subsequently, they present the conclusions they have drawn from the data using various graphical representations to their peers. The feedback they receive addresses both their data inquiry skills and the similarities or differences between their findings and those of their peers. All of these contribute to deepening knowledge in the content domain, inquiry skills, and the social-emotional skills involved in providing constructive and generative feedback.
This principle is often implemented together with the principle of “Foster classroom norms for productive talk” and the principle of “Encourage students to take on teaching roles in peer learning”.
The History of the Principle: This principle first appeared in the Design Principles Database (Design Principles Database, Kali, 2006). Its name was later changed from “Supporting Feedback and Student Assessment” to “Engage learners in peer feedback and assessment”.
Cite: Aridor, K., Segev, Y., Hod, Y., Kali, Y., Sagy, N., Dolev-Shaham, R., and members of the TCSS community (2021). Pedagogical Principles, insights.edu.haifa.ac.il
Deepening and Expansion ▼
Formative Assessment versus Summative Assessment
According to Black and Wiliam (1998), distinguishing between different types of assessment enables teachers to design instruction in alignment with their pedagogical goals. Assessment is considered formative when it occurs throughout the learning process and includes feedback and opportunities for improvement. This type of assessment provides teachers and learners with continuous information about learning, which can serve as a basis for feedback, for improving learning processes, and for adapting subsequent teaching and learning. In contrast, summative assessment takes place at the end of the learning process and provides an overall picture of achievement, serving primarily for measurement purposes.
Community of Learners
The “Community of Learners” model, as described by Brown and Campione (1994), is an approach to learning grounded in the assumption that learning is optimized when learners engage in collaborative inquiry. In this model, all participants contribute knowledge, pose questions, provide feedback, and respond to others’ insights. Within this approach, the teacher’s role shifts from a transmitter of knowledge to a facilitator of processes (guided discovery), including inquiry, classroom discourse, and feedback. Learners are not merely consumers of knowledge but active partners in its construction. Through guided discovery, they can explore content independently while developing critical thinking, reflectivity, and collaborative learning skills. This approach enables the integration of peer feedback as an integral component of the learning process, rather than merely a tool for evaluating final products.
Peer Feedback
Feedback among learners constitutes a powerful pedagogical tool both for improving learners’ understanding and for building a learning community. This process requires students to exercise judgment, identify relevant criteria, and formulate recommendations for improvement. According to Topping (1998), who examined peer assessment in higher education contexts, peer feedback enhances learners’ sense of self-efficacy, strengthens communal responsibility, and encourages the acceptance of constructive criticism. The effectiveness of peer feedback depends on appropriate guidance, clearly articulated criteria, and a safe and inclusive classroom culture. In some cases, peer feedback may contribute more to learners than feedback provided by teachers.
Additional Resources
Nevo, D. (2003). Formative Assessment in the Classroom. Tel Aviv: Mofet Institute.
Visible Thinking website of Project Zero, Harvard University: Visible Thinking
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. Jossey-Bass.
References ▼
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139-148.
Brown, A. L., & Campione, J. C. (1994). Guided Discovery in a Community of Learners. In K. McGilly (Ed.), Classroom Lessons: Integrating Cognitive Theory and Classroom Practice (pp. 229-270). MIT Press.
Topping, K. J. (1998). Peer assessment between students in colleges and universities. Review of Educational Research, 68(3), 249–276. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543068003249