Usage Data and Group Rankings in Peer Review Settings: A Case Study on Students' Behavior and Performance

Abstract

This paper focuses on the effect that usage data and group ranking information may have when are presented to students in a peer review setting. The study analyzes the performance and attitudes of 56 sophomore students enrolled in a Network Planning and Design course. The students, grouped randomly in three different conditions, followed the prescriptions of a free-selection peer review protocol that guided students in double-blind review process, allowing them to select on their own peer work for review. Students in the first condition acted as the control group without any information on their usage data or rankings. Students in the second condition had access to usage data information mirroring their activity in the study, while students in the third condition received additional information on their rankings inside their group. Result analysis suggests that, while there is not difference in domain knowledge acquisition, engagement was higher in the third group, with students spending more time in the activity and expressing a more positive attitude towards the study.