How power dynamics affect the student peer review process

The pedagogic interest around dialogic feedback methods and socio-constructivist alignment, where learning is co-constructed through negotiation and discussion, raises questions about how students perceive, value and engage in formative peer feedback, as well as the cognitive processes that are activated when students collaborate in reviewing activities. Moreover, there is a need to understand the student experiences with feedback practices in terms of what they value and the influence of learning environments, peer relationships and dynamics on dialogue and development. To explore the perceptions and experiences of students, we undertook a qualitative study and thematic analysis of formative peer review practice on full-time BA (Hons) Architecture students at the University of Brighton, United Kingdom. The research identified factors that influence the value and engagement of dialogic methods of peer feedback, and how learning experiences might be improved.