Using peer review in formative assessment to smooth the transition onto a postgraduate taught master’s course.

The transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study can be challenging and complex, with many students experiencing uncertainty and anxiety about the jump in academic requirements. Peer review has been shown to enhance students’ critical thinking and writing skills, and subsequent academic performance. This paper describes and evaluates the use of peer review in a formative assessment on a postgraduate taught master’s course. The associations between both given and received grades and feedback and subsequent academic performance were analysed. Peer feedback was shorter and contained fewer meaning-level comments than tutor feedback. Grades did not differ between peers and tutor and were positively associated with performance on similar assignments in first semester, but not over the academic year. Students reported that the peer review process enhanced their work by demonstrating how others approached a topic and encouraging them to ‘think like a marker’. The usefulness and feasibility of using peer review on taught master’s courses is discussed.