In Episode One students learn best practices for giving feedback. Players choose a paper to review and "virtual peers" to work with. Game play simulates the peer review situation. Choosing the best response boosts the goodwill meter rating. The consequences for weak feedback? Low scores and unhappy classmates. Just like in real life!
In Episode Two students learn that receiving feedback is not a passive process. The player scores by drawing good feedback out of virtual classmates. The goal is to transform half-hearted, mediocre comments into constructive, useful comments. Along the way players learn best practices for getting feedback and for evaluating a paper at one of three revision stages. Available April 2008
Instructor's Annotated Edition. The Instructor's Edition includes suggestions for using Peer Factor in all kinds of classroom situations. The complete script is provided with extensive annotations that facilitate class discussion and game-related assignments.
Exercises, Advice, and Support. Online interactive exercises reinforce lessons learned during game play. Students are invited to see and try before they do, by practicing peer review techniques such as believing/doubting and nutshelling. Exercise results can be printed out or emailed to the instructor. The Reference Desk offers more help and advice for peer review including a Best Practice page, an online glossary of essential terms, advice on handling the peer review jitters, and tips on how to stay objective when a personal essay is under review.