Peer review
I've had projects where we did not have peer review and the final results were drastically different than the times when we did have a peer review. Peer review accomplishes a few things. One, it is a great way for students to get feedback on their project prior to turning it in for their final grade with the goal of increasing scores. Second, it allows students to look at the projects of others, inadvertently sharing ideas and raising the quality of the class projects as a whole. Third, it gives students a chance to practice giving and receiving constructive criticism.
Before the peer review starts, I review the proper way to give feedback to others. It is likely that students have never been taught this, so I try to be specific on what they should and should not say. I have two beginning phrases written on the board, "I like..." and "I wonder..." and I show students how to finish that sentence. "I like the way your presentation is organized. I wonder if there is enough content in the project." "I like how much information you give. I wonder if the diagram needs more color." I make a point to show them what not to write as well, such as "I like your shirt. I wonder why the drawing sucks." These comments are anonymous and so far I have never had issues with people being rude to others. I did have an instance where I thought certain students would be rude, so I gave those particular students a certain color post-it to use (seemingly at random) and gave the rest of the class another color, but again, no problems there.
Typically, I give a day or two after the peer review for revisions in class then have the final, graded projects after their revision days. There are many ways to run a peer review, but here are some that are most effective in PBL:
Before the peer review starts, I review the proper way to give feedback to others. It is likely that students have never been taught this, so I try to be specific on what they should and should not say. I have two beginning phrases written on the board, "I like..." and "I wonder..." and I show students how to finish that sentence. "I like the way your presentation is organized. I wonder if there is enough content in the project." "I like how much information you give. I wonder if the diagram needs more color." I make a point to show them what not to write as well, such as "I like your shirt. I wonder why the drawing sucks." These comments are anonymous and so far I have never had issues with people being rude to others. I did have an instance where I thought certain students would be rude, so I gave those particular students a certain color post-it to use (seemingly at random) and gave the rest of the class another color, but again, no problems there.
Typically, I give a day or two after the peer review for revisions in class then have the final, graded projects after their revision days. There are many ways to run a peer review, but here are some that are most effective in PBL:
Gallery walkA gallery walk works great for projects that are tangible and can be displayed around the classroom. Ideally, each project is set on a desk and students walk around the room with 1/4 sheets of paper or post its sharing what they like and what they wonder about each project. The class spends about 30 minutes walking around the room giving feedback on each other, then will spend about 20 minutes with their group reviewing their own feedback and making a plan to fix what others suggest needs fixing.
Seated reviewA seated review is similar to a gallery walk, but in this case, as you may have guessed, the students remain in their seats. This type of review is good when one group is presenting to the class or showing something on a projector or whiteboard. As with the gallery walk, each student writes down what they like and wonder about each project, and afterward, they are collected and handed to the group that presented.
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A gallery walk allows students to walk around the classroom giving feedback on other projects.
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Anonymously, students critique others using the starting phrases of "I like... and I wonder."
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Critical friendsCritical friends is a way to critique others in a small group setting. When time is an issue or just to change things up, two groups can sit together and share their projects. While one group is presenting, the other group does not talk. They are given 2-4 minutes to present their ideas, uninterrupted. When they are finished, they turn their backs on the other group and the second group will give comments about the project, again, using the "I like" and "I wonder" format. After 2-4 minutes, the first group turns around and clarifications and questions are up for discussion. This lasts another 2-4 minutes then the second group presents and the roles are reversed.
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Ideally, each group gets and receives feedback on their project prior to the final date, so they can make revisions and add things they might have overlooked.