The Code Factor

I don’t do enough peer reviewing and the main reason is that I am apprehensive of the impact it could have in a mixed ability group.

I felt more comfortabel using it in a pull-out session for students who opted to participate in a coding competition. These students were ‘academic peers’ and I thought this could create a less threatening environment for this activity.

Students first presented the app they had coded to their peers and the latter briefly tried it out, asking the creator questions about it and proposing edits. Then each student filled in a feedback sheet on each app.

Critical Reflection

I was very impressed by how much students learnt from each other through this exercise, asking each other about how they did this or that or suggesting improvements to each other’s apps.

The feedback given was also very apt and evidenced reflection. Students also were very pleased to receive such feedback from their peers and sought to act on it.

During the session one student told me: Miss I feel like a judge on ‘The X Factor’…look at us, we’re doing ‘The Code Factor’!

Moving Forward

The success of this exercise highlights the validity of peer review and I’d like to find a safe way of implementing it more in a mixed ability group.