Quality Enhancement Plan

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A WEB-BASED SYSTEM FOR CALIBRATED PEER REVIEW

Peer review is a well-established pedagogical approach within core writing and human communication courses at WKU, including ENG 100, COMM 145, and ENG 300; however, it is not widely or systematically employed in other courses across the university that incorporate a significant component of critical analysis/argumentation.  A web-based, calibrated peer review system could facilitate the training of students in recognizing important features of standard genres of argument, including lab reports, literature reviews, and rhetorical analyses.

A critical element of this calibrated approach is the training artifact, through which students learn to appropriately apply a designated rubric to a written, oral, or multimedia product in preparation for assessing their own work or that of others.  E&A will explore alternative calibrated peer-review platforms and their potential utility for faculty across the university.  Specific initiatives are anticipated to include:

• Evaluating the features, flexibility, and cost of various calibrated peer review solutions;
• Working with academic departments and programs to gauge their interest in incorporating a calibrated peer review system into their curriculum;
• Collaborating with Academic Technology staff to asess the technical requirements and associated cost of alternative products;
• Deploying an appropriate web-based system (assuming sufficient interest across the university) for use by faculty and programs; and
• Training faculty and departments on the use of the selected system, and identifying target opportunities for its incorporation.

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