How to Approach Peer Grading Assignments

I. Best Practices

Best practices in peer assessment vary depending on the type of assignment or project you are
evaluating and the type of course you are taking. A good quality experience also depends on
having a clear and accurate rubric that effectively presents the proper criteria and standards for
the assessment. The process can be intimidating, but know that everyone probably feels the
same way you do when first informed you will be evaluating the work of others--cautious and
uncomfortable!

Given this, if not stated, the following questions should be answered by your professor before
beginning:

Exactly who [which students] will be evaluated and by whom?

What does the evaluation include? What parts are not to be evaluated?

At what point during a group project or the assignment will the evaluation be done?

What learning outcomes are expected from this exercise?

How will their peers’ evaluation affect everyone's grades?

What form of feedback will you receive regarding how you evaluated your peers?

II. Things to Consider

When informed that you will be assessing the work of others, consider the following:

Carefully read the rubric given to you by the professor. If he/she hasn't distributed a rubric, be
sure to clarify what guidelines or rules you are to follow and specifically what parts of the
assignment or group project are to be evaluated. If you are asked to help develop a rubric, ask to
see examples. The design and content of assessment rubrics can vary considerably and it is
important to know what your professor is looking for.

Consider how your assessment should be reported. Is it simply a rating [i.e., rate 1-5 the quality
of work], are points given for each item graded [i.e., 0-20 points], are you expected to write a
brief synopsis of your assessment, or is it any combination of these approaches? If you are asked
to write an evaluation, be concise and avoid subjective or overly-broad modifiers. Whenever
possible, cite specific examples of either good work or work you believe does not meet the
standard outlined in the rubric.

Clarify how you will receive feedback from your professor regarding how effectively you assessed
the work of your peers. Take advantage of receiving this feedback to discuss how the rubric
could be improved or whether the process of completing the assignment or group project was
enhanced using peer grading methods.

III. General Evaluative Elements of a Rubric

In the social and behavioral sciences, the elements of a rubric used to evaluate a writing
assignment depend upon the content and purpose of the assignment. Rubrics are often
presented in print or online as a grid with evaluative statements about what constitutes an
effective, somewhat effective, or ineffective element of the content.

Here are the general types of assessment that your professor may ask you to examine or that you
may want to consider if you are asked to help develop the rubric.

Grammar and Usage

The writing is free of misspellings. Words are capitalized correctly. There is proper verb tense
agreement. The sentences are punctuated correctly and there are no sentence fragments or run-
on sentences. Acronyms are spelled out when first used. The paper is neat, legible, and
presented in an appropriate format. If there are any non-textual elements [e.g., charts, graphs,
tables, pictures, etc.], assess whether they are labeled correctly and described in the text to help
support an understanding the overall purpose of the paper.
Focus and Organization

The paper is structured logically. The research problem and supporting questions or hypotheses
are clearly articulated and systematically addressed. Content is presented in an effective order
that supports understanding of the main ideas or critical events. The narrative flow possesses
overall unity and coherence and it is appropriately developed by means of description, example,
illustration, or definition that effectively defines the scope of what is being investigated.
Conclusions or recommended actions reflect astute connections to more than one perspective or
point of view.

Elaboration and Style

The introduction engages your attention. Descriptions of ideas, concepts, events, and people are
clearly related to the research problem. There is appropriate use of technical or specialized
terminology required to make the content clear. Where needed, descriptions of cause and effect
outcomes, compare and contrast, and classification and division of findings are effectively
presented. Arguments, recommendations, best practices, or lessons learned are supported by
the evidence gathered and presented. Limitations are acknowledged and described. Sources are
selected from a variety of scholarly and creative sources that provide valid support for studying
the problem. All sources are properly cited using a standard writing style.