Can a Minimalistic Tip Sheet with a Motivational Focus Foster High-Quality, Motivating Peer-Feedback? Results of Two Field Experiments

Peer-feedback has high potential to be an effective strategy in higher education, supporting students in developing their knowledge and skills by providing and receiving feedback. High-quality, motivating peer-feedback should encourage recipients to revise their work. Ideally, peer-feedback should elicit high expectancies for success and high utility value. This paper ex-amines an approach designed to support peer-feedback quality and, consequently, receivers’ motivation: A tip sheet with a focus on motivation was employed in two separate field experi-ments in which students provided and received peer-feedback on one occasion (Study 1; 356 students) and on six occasions (Study 2; 278 students). We coded feedback quality on a crite-ria-based scheme. Feedback recipients reported on the perceived quality of the feedback they received, their expectancies for success in revision, and the utility value of revising their work. We also measured the amount of revision. In both studies, students receiving the tip sheet pro-vided higher-quality peer-feedback. In Study 1, participants in the experimental group addi-tionally perceived the peer-feedback as higher-quality and had higher expectancies for success for revision than those in the control group. The results demonstrate that a minimalistic sup-port can, on principle, promote peer-feedback quality and enhance receivers’ motivation.