Peer Feedback on Collaborative Learning Activities in Veterinary Education

Abstract

Collaborative learning activities are an increasingly prominent feature of veterinary curricula that have been redesigned to achieve competency-based graduate learning outcomes. This evolution challenges the traditional individualistic approach to veterinary education and necessitates revisions to assessment and feedback practices to ensure constructive alignment. Peer feedback has been widely reported in the medical education literature as a teaching intervention in collaborative learning settings, with learning gains reported for students who receive and provide peer feedback. In this setting, peer feedback has been demonstrated to provide valuable formative feedback on professional behaviors and skills. However, there are very few such reports in the veterinary education literature to date. Barriers to the introduction of this approach can include teacher and student perceptions, and concerns around validity and reliability. This review aimed to provide an overview of current evidence regarding peer feedback on collaborative learning activities in higher education, and to explore opportunities and challenges for the introduction of peer feedback in the context of veterinary education. We contend that early and repeated provision of formative peer feedback can provide an opportunity to scaffold the development of crucial core competencies within veterinary education, including the self-regulated learning skills required to work in collaborative teams, and interpret and act on feedback.

Peer assessment of professionalism in undergraduate medical education

“…Medical students are generally positive about peer assessment of professional behaviours [ 9 ], although the literature is mixed regarding student acceptance and satisfaction with peer assessment [ 11 ]. Papinczak et al [ 18 ] found students’ reported feeling uncomfortable carrying out peer assessment, while Dooley and Bamford [ 10 ] suggest that, for many students, the idea of directly evaluating one’s peers is at odds with traditional conceptualizations of the role of peers. It has been suggested that resistance to formative peer feedback is less common than summative peer assessment and student anxiety has been shown to decrease with time following early and repeated inclusion of peer assessment [ 10 ].…”

“…According to Hulsman et al [ 8 ] peer-assessment also reflects an ‘assessment-for-learning paradigm’ that is rooted within principles of social constructivist theories of learning. In many ways, the reported benefits of peer assessment in medical education mirror many of the key characteristics of Schon’s notion of the ‘reflective practitioner’, including that it may confer an improved ability to engage in self-reflective practice, develop greater self-awareness and increased critical reasoning skills [ 2 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 14 , 18 ].…”

“…Emerging evidence suggests that peer assessment may be effective in promoting professionalism and can provide valuable formative feedback on professional behaviors and skills [ 2 , 9 , 10 ]. Studies have demonstrated it can be a reliable method for assessing the humanistic/psychosocial dimensions of clinical performance [ 1 , 2 , 8 ].…”

“…Studies have demonstrated it can be a reliable method for assessing the humanistic/psychosocial dimensions of clinical performance [ 1 , 2 , 8 ]. Apart from supporting student learning, assessment and feedback on professional behaviours may also offer opportunities for early detection, monitoring and/or timely remediation of students who display difficult or challenging behaviours [ 10 , 11 ]. As peers are able to observe one another regularly over a wide range of circumstances, peer assessment may also provide information regarding student performance that is not measured by other traditional evaluation methods [ 1 , 12 – 15 ].…”

“…Sadler and Good [ 19 ] suggest that peer assessment also fosters ‘metacognition’, which is knowledge or awareness of one’s own learning processes, and as learners become more aware of performance expectations they internalize this understanding and apply it to their future work to improve their own performance. Engaging in peer feedback may also increase student motivation by fostering a greater sense of accountability and ownership of learning [ 10 ]. Generally, students find peer assessment acceptable and growing evidence suggests peer assessment can predict future academic performance, provide medical students with reliable feedback about professionalism and may enhance future professional behaviour [ 2 , 3 , 15 , 18 ].…”