Involving 1st year students in the feedback process using Peer Reviews with no grading

This case study from Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) describes a 12-week initiative involving 34 first-year Social Care students that incorporated peer review without grading into the assessment process. Students were introduced to a marking rubric, graded exemplars, discussed feedback, completed draft submissions, and conducted anonymised peer reviews using the rubric. The initiative was evaluated using thematic analysis, which identified themes of engagement, guidance and judgement, with findings indicating that peer review supported students in judging the quality of academic work and adjusting their own work accordingly.