Publication details
Peer Feedback to Facilitate Independent Learning among First-Year Sociology Students
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The chapter discusses implementation of innovative learning activity of peer feedbacks in the introductory sociology seminar. The objective of the activity was to develop students’ writing skills and independent learning skills. In the first half of the semester, students were provided by teacher's feedback to their weekly position papers to set the model of good practice. Afterwards, the peer feedback activity was introduced by thorough class discussion of characteristics of constructive feedbacks. Subsequently, in the period of three weeks, students wrote and provided peer feedback within unchanged peer triads. The innovation was evaluated by data triangulation to document different perspectives on the activity. First, colleague’s observation served to provide independent observer’s perspective on the introduction of the activity to students. Second, teacher’s perspective on students’ progress was recorded and traced in a teaching diary. Third, students’ perspective on the activity was measured by three successive minute papers in each week of the activity to follow progress in time, and a final questionnaire to grasp their opinions on the effectiveness of the activity. Findings confirmed improvement of students’ writing skills, critical thinking and collaborative skills. Development of students’ confidence of independent learners was confirmed only partly. The evaluation revealed students' struggles with feelings of self-doubt as a consequence of acquiring new role of independent learners at the university. |
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