It is common for teachers to employ the practice of having students grade the work of their peers, but many have questioned the utilization of peer grading in the classroom as an invasion of privacy and an inefficient use of class time. Although peer grading is legally sound, it presents students with more disruption than benefit.
In 2002, an Oklahoma mother claimed that peer grading violated her children’s rights under the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act in the Owasso Independent School District v. Falvo case. The Supreme Court ruled that students grading one another’s work does not violate FERPA and cleared peer grading of any legal implications.
Though there is no dispute about the legality of peer grading, its value in academic classes is still questionable. This practice takes up crucial class time and promotes student leniency when fellow classmates grade work. Additionally, some students may not pay as much attention to the work they are scoring because it does not benefit them. The possibility of overgenerous or biased grading should discourage the primary use of peer grading in any classroom.
However, peer grading may reward mature classes with the added opportunity to review course material. Advanced Placement Biology students grade one another’s free response questions, enabling them to examine their peers’ writing, compare it with their own and contemplate how to improve upon their own writing skills. These potential benefits are often lost, however, when the loss of class time is considered. Reviewing concepts in alternative ways, rather than peer grading, could potentially take less time as points do not have to be added up while going over material.
Class time is easily lost when numerous students must clarify whether or not another student’s answer is acceptable. With so much variability in the answers to free response questions, the peer grading process can often become tedious and unsuitable. Instead of peer grading to reinforce material, review exercises or games such as adapted jeopardy may be more beneficial and a better use of class time.
Additionally, students often understand the information being taught at varying levels, making it difficult to ensure uniform grading of answers. Because some students may not understand material as thoroughly, peer grading may ultimately be ineffective when grading subjective assignments like essays or free response questions.
It is because of these reasons that peer grading is only advantageous when teachers diligently monitor the process and ensure that students are fair and on task. To eradicate subjectivity, teachers should have strict rubrics and examples of correct answers to ensure that the peer grading process is as objective as possible.
Additionally, there must be strict guidelines and heavy teacher oversight of peer-graded tests to eradicate any bias in grading. Ideally, teachers should also ensure that they thoroughly explain answers that are being peer graded in order to reinforce previously taught material, as this is where students could gain the most from any implementation of peer grading.
Peer grading could be beneficial to students and their learning by expediting the grading process in certain circumstances. However, without uniform implementation and school-wide policy, it lacks the structure necessary to actually help students, thereby providing more disruption to the classroom than benefit to students.
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