Is Peer Feedback Helpful When Learning Literature Review Writing? A Study of Feedback Features and Quantity

The literature review is an important part of an academic text. It is common for students to learn literature review writing through reading and practice. This study explored peer feedback as an assisting interactive social tool that aims to provide formative assessment of literature reviews written by master students. The student reviewers’ feedback characteristics were identified and coded, and their relationships with writing performance were examined. Six assessment criteria and writing categories relevant to the literature reviews genre were employed for the writing process as well as a peer feedback process. The feedback patterns were analysed according to four dimensions- describing status or problems versus prescribing directions, abundant input versus uncritical/empty comments, high versus low level, and constructive versus negative. No correlations were found between review patterns, students’ performance mark, and quantity of feedback received. Significant correlations were observed between specific review patterns and separate category scores. The dimensions constructive vs. negative and high vs. low level correlated with most category scores. The findings show that the students were able to provide useful and high-level comments to assist their peers’ writing. Overall, it was found that peer feedback quality and quantity do not define the performance mark, but benefit individual aspects of literature reviews writing.