Peer Review: A Useful Tool in the Classroom

Abstract

The landscape of higher education is changing, in particular due to improving technology, increasing costs, changing student expectations, and increasing demands on researchers. Hence, modern instructors are challenged to find innovative ways to deliver value, facilitate student learning, and reduce overall workload, and all in a cost-effective manner. Peer review is one of instructional methods, which may be used inside or outside the classroom. It is an active and cooperative learning technique, where students are afforded the opportunity to review student work and performance, elaborate on domain-specific knowledge, all while strengthening their evaluative skills. However, despite the diversity in application and perceived potential in the classroom, peer review is still among the least studied classroom activities in higher education. Therefore, this paper reviews the potential usefulness and value of executing peer review activities in a classroom setting in higher education.