Role of Peer and Tutor Feedback
Peer and tutor assessment is important as it reflects what others think about our work. The alternative perspective from peers and tutors allows us to see what we cannot observe from our own point of view. Feedback is also an important tool in helping us learn from our mistakes as well as improve on our existing work. While we do not necessarily have to agree with every feedback that we receive, we have to appreciate those which are constructive. Giving feedback to our peers not only helps them realise possible areas for improvement, but it also allows us to realise our own weaknesses. Furthermore, positive feedback functions as a motivational mechanism for us to do better in the future. Since tutors are more knowledgeable in that area of study, their feedback is often more constructive and they help us improve our writing skills. On the other hand, peer feedback allows us to relate our ideas with them better since we are at the same stage of learning.
Peer and tutor assessment is important as it reflects what others think about our work. The alternative perspective from peers and tutors allows us to see what we cannot observe from our own point of view. Feedback is also an important tool in helping us learn from our mistakes as well as improve on our existing work. While we do not necessarily have to agree with every feedback that we receive, we have to appreciate those which are constructive. Giving feedback to our peers not only helps them realise possible areas for improvement, but it also allows us to realise our own weaknesses. Furthermore, positive feedback functions as a motivational mechanism for us to do better in the future. Since tutors are more knowledgeable in that area of study, their feedback is often more constructive and they help us improve our writing skills. On the other hand, peer feedback allows us to relate our ideas with them better since we are at the same stage of learning.
However, feedback could be demoralising at various instances. When we receive negative comments, we might feel disheartened, especially when we know that we have invested much effort and time on our work. Furthermore, our peers might not be knowledgeable in the field that we are working on. Their feedback might contradict tutor feedback and also our own assessment. As a result, their feedback might not be effective in providing constructive ideas. On other occasion, giving feedback to others develop a sense of superiority in us, such that we tend to look down on the person who is receiving our feedback. This sense of superiority over others leads to the ineffectiveness of peer evaluation as we lose our objectivity in giving feedback.
Therefore, an effective peer and tutor feedback is one that adds value to our work and helps us in our future. When we receive feedback, it is up to us to take what we deem as constructive and filter out comments which does not add any value. On the other hand, when we give feedback, we must remain objective and neutral. We must not allow our pride and ego to overshadow our objectivity. We must also be knowledgeable before giving our comments on a particular are of work.
Thank you, Taq, for this concise yet comprehensive and well focused reflection. First, you contextualize feedback within the scope of learning. You then focus the discussion on the value of the peer and tutor feedback, and you express your opinions on the various aspects with good clarity. It’s interesting to me that you (like many other students) have doubts about not just your own ability to critique the language use of your peers, but also you doubt some of the feedback you got on your own language use. This is normal, of course. For that reason what is most important in the process seems to be the idea that “...when we give feedback, we must remain objective and neutral. We must not allow our pride and ego to overshadow our objectivity. We must also be knowledgeable before giving our comments on a particular are of work.” These are good insights.
ReplyDeleteIf I could learn more from you in this essay, however, I would want to know just how you might transfer the evaluative skills learned in ES1102 to other writing assignments. How might you seek feedback from papers written in another course? Do you ever do that?
In any case, Taq, I wish you the best of luck as you continue your learning journey!