Peer-to-Peer assessment is a very effective learning tool. At OpenClassrooms, we use this type of feedback during many of our programs because it encourages you to think critically and learn skills you will later use in the workplace.
It is really beneficial for you to know how to make the most of Peer-to-Peer reviews, both giving feedback to other students and receiving it yourself.
Here are our 5 golden rules for receiving peer-to-peer feedback.
Keep an open mind
For the process to be beneficial you need to open your mind to a perspective that could differ from your own. This will help you to be more willing to really hear constructive feedback and reflect upon it, both as you receive it and as it sinks in.
Of course, you may not always completely agree, but the important thing is that you absorb another perspective in order to grow in your own analysis of the subject matter and more generally in your learning.
Interpret with a positive spin
It can be easy to misunderstand feedback in any scenario. Because in this case, you are receiving feedback via text, and not face-to-face, there is a possibility that what your peer writes could be perceived more harshly than it was meant.
To avoid this, try to read the feedback with the most positive spin as you can muster – this will help you walk away gaining the most value from the feedback.
Pro tip: You may also find it helpful to take notes, writing their feedback in your own words. This could help you not only better digest their feedback but also receive it in a more constructive light.
Be mindful
Take notice of your own reactions to the feedback, both intellectual and emotional ones. If something that is written makes you feel strongly – whether positively or negatively – you should take the time afterwards to consider why. Likewise, don’t dismiss negative points when you receive them, positives and negatives together are all parts of good feedback.
See this as an opportunity to learn more about yourself – where you are confident, sensitive, or insecure.
Remember your reviewer is a student too
Giving feedback is a skill that needs to be honed. Understand that your peer-reviewer is also a student and learning the skill by doing — just as you are. If you feel they did not give feedback fairly or thoroughly enough, remember that they are still getting a hang of it.
While giving and receiving feedback, if you encounter any language that does not apply to your project or violates our terms of use by adopting insulting, aggressive, or unprofessional conduct, please email the details to hello@openclassrooms.com so we can follow up on the situation.
Our goal is to provide a supportive and meaningful experience for everyone, so reporting misbehavior is an important way to achieve that goal!
Debrief after receiving feedback
Regardless if you agree with the feedback, are surprised by it, delighted by it or find it to be plain wrong – talk through it with your mentor.
Your mentor can help you process any emotions that may arise from receiving feedback as they provide their perspective. If there was anything you didn’t quite get, your mentor can potentially provide clarity or a deeper understanding of the points being made.
That’s it for our tips on how to receive peer-to-peer feedback from your fellow OpenClassrooms students. For tips on how to give great feedback, read this.
