The Effect of Peer Review on Information Literacy Outcomes in a Chemical Literature Course

Abstract

This article describes the use of peer review in a writing project involving upper-level chemistry students in a chemical literature course, with the goal of improving student performance in meeting information literacy outcomes.Students were asked to find articles on a topic of their choice over the course of a semester and assemble the results into a brief paper, which was anonymously peer-reviewed by their classmates and then revised. The papers and the reviews were evaluated using a rubric based on ACRL information literacy competency standards for science, engineering, and technology students. Significant improvements relating to seven standards-based outcomes were observed (p < 0.02), corresponding to specific reviewer criticisms in up to 43% of student papers.

A collaborative working model for enhancing the learning process of science & engineering students

“…The Effect of Peer Review on Information Literacy Outcomes (Zwicky and Hands, 2016). Science students, Purdue University, USA Improvement in meeting information literacy outcomes and in assembling the results into a brief paper.…”

“…(i) The peer review method as a means of improving learning has been implemented in several studies in science and engineering education courses. Results show that, in general, participating students improve their skills at critical-reading and writing (Zwicky and Hands, 2016;Lai and Hwang, 2014;Tenório et al, 2016), and enhance other academic skills such as their achievement in complex cognitive tasks, development of professional behaviour and social interaction (González-Marcos et al, 2018).…”

Tracking Information Literacy in Science Students: A Longitudinal Case Study of Skill Retention from General Chemistry to Biochemistry

“…As the skills and concepts needed for information literacy become more complex, instructional practices across the curriculum are expanding. Courses and modules focused on information literacy have been reported at every level of a university science curriculum, from first-year introductory courses to senior-level courses. − Students who receive information literacy instruction report that they find the topic engaging and relatable and consider the material to be useful for both their academic and professional careers . Instruction in information literacy through practice can improve students’ confidence and competence at finding high-quality sources .…”

Problematizing Peer Review: Academic Librarians’ Pedagogical Approaches to Peer Review

“…Library literature discusses peer review under the auspices of open access publishing (especially notable is Emily Ford's (2013Ford's ( , 2016aFord's ( , 2016bFord's ( , 2018 work on open peer review), as a peer-to-peer editing activity for improving student writing (Wheeler, 2011;Zwicky & Hands, 2016), or in terms of information evaluation (Rosenzweig, Thill, & Lambert, 2019;Shotton, 2012;Warren & Duckett, 2010), but rarely in terms of critically analyzing the process itself (Potvin, 2017). Articles discussing the value and role of peer review in academic publishing (Kaspar, 2016;Weller, 1995) are most likely to address critiques of the peer review process, while there are a growing number that directly confront bias in the peer review process (García, Rodriguez-Sánchez, & Fdez-Valdivia, 2015) and the moments in which peer review fails at its own stated goals (Leon, 2014).…”