Large introductory science classes are notorious for using multiple-choice exams. Most instructors wish they could give more writing assignments, but large class sizes make it difficult to give effective feedback. With calibrated peer review (CPR), students grade each other and learn in the process. Dr. Cianan Russell is using CPR in his chemistry class this semester and I've asked him about his experience:
1) What is CPR and why are you using it?
CPR, or Calibrated Peer Review, is an online writing and reviewing tool. There are four stages in CPR: 1) Writing, 2) Calibration, 3) Peer Review, and 4) Self-review. In the writing stage, students respond to an essay prompt and write their own essays. In the calibration stage, students review essays that the instructor has written and grade them; their goal is to make their grading match the grading assigned by the instructor, so they receive points for accurately using the grading rubric. In the peer review stage, students then apply the grading rubric to the essays of the other students in the class. Students are assigned three essays written by other students to review. If a student does well on the calibration stage, then the scores they give other students are weighted heavily; if they do poorly on the calibration stage, their grades for other students are weighted lightly in the grade the other student receives. Finally, in the self-review stage, students grade their own essays also using the grading scheme from the calibration and peer review stages; they receive more points not for their own grade of themselves but for assigning an honest grade to themselves and matching with the peer reviews.
We are using CPR in our CHEM 1211K courses this semester. The main reason for this is that we want to incorporate more critical thinking and concept development into CHEM 1211K, but we have nearly 700 students enrolled in just this one course each fall. CPR allows for giving and grading writing assignments, teaches students about discerning correct from incorrect conceptual information, and encourages accurate and honest metacognition through the self-review stage.
2) What kind of assignments are you using CPR for and why do those kind of assignments lend themselves to CPR?
We have assigned two required CPR assignments and one optional introductory assignment. The two required assignments make up, combined, nearly one exam grade in the course. We chose topics - intermolecular forces and valence bond theory - that have significant conceptual components so that there is plenty to write about within the assignments. Additionally, students need to be able to find the correct answers to the calibration questions for them to be able to accurately and effectively respond to the calibrations, so having clear calibration schemes is important both for students to do the calibration correctly and for them to root out misconceptions in their own understanding of the topic.
Both writing assignments are 250-500 words, so students have plenty of space to explain a simple topic without the writing component being too onerous. Since the CPR process involves reading 6 essays (3 calibrations and 3 from other students) in addition to writing and reading one's own essay, it's important that the writing component be small enough for students to be able to complete the assignment in a reasonable amount of time.
3) Any warnings or recommendations for instructors interested in using it?
The most important piece of information for instructors is that you must make the instructions for students very, very clear. Because CPR isn't part of the GT single log-in network, students have had problems reading and understanding the instructions I provided for them. I would recommend doing a walk-through of the log-in process on the first day of class so students can see how to interact with the system.
Additionally, I would recommend carefully following a pre-made CPR assignment in the process of writing your own. Our first couple of attempts both left something to be desired, so this time we are going to hone them to better suit our needs.