Peer review group reflection PDF

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Peer reveiw group reflection in terms of the assignment 3....

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Peer review group reflection (Ullmann’s level of reflection)

EA STAGE 1 COMPETENCIES. 3.6. INDICATORS OF ATTAINMENT C In my recent unit of study “ENGINEERING PRACTICE PREPARATION 1,” I was put in a group of 6 (including myself) where we worked within groups to provide feedback on each other’s drafts and collaborating on other tutorial activities. The unit provided us with the opportunity to build connections and enhance teamwork skills. Teamwork is a necessary skill required for any engineering and non-engineering job. In the beginning, it was uncomfortable and awkward for me to meet new people, however, after introducing ourselves and getting to know each other, I was more comfortable. This session we had together was very intuitive with a lot of constructive outlooks that were provided on our drafts and other tutorial works that required us to work together. Our group was built upon making collective decisions with no specific leader. We all shared and communicated our ideas as well as listen to what others have to say. Actively participating in the discussions and contributing ideas elevated my confidence levels and made me more comfortable working within the group. Although everyone couldn’t submit their drafts for review on time, I am pleased with the effort everyone put into their reflection. The feedback activities taught me new skills such as recognizing constructive criticism towards my work and time management skills. Furthermore, it also allowed me to learn about the importance of submitting work on time and the importance of self-leadership in the class while working with the PRG group. In the beginning, I lacked confidence and had an insecurity about my voice. I was afraid that people in my group would dislike me and wouldn’t communicate well with me, thus, my opinions would hold minimal value. I was hesitant to give feedback as I was intimidated by public speaking and wasn’t sure if my feedbacks are going to be taken well by my peers and if it would help them in any way. However, creating a group chat to help us keep track of the assignment's due dates and discuss feedbacks or issues anyone faced in the class, made me feel more comfortable relaying my thoughts and opinions. Consequently, receiving feedback from my peers allowed me to understand and improve significantly with the way I write and present my work. In the PRG group, we all had a common goal, and the difference was how we approached the work, and receiving feedback from each other, has allowed us to develop our work and refine pre-existing skills. The concept of peer review groups has allowed me to develop and gain strength in my work. I believe that it’s a great opportunity to have for students in any unit of study, as it allows them to receive concise and point-driven feedbacks. It allowed me to understand others' perspectives, broaden my level of understanding and gain a new perspective of learning. I noticed that PRG teamwork gave us a competitive edge over a student that reviews their work without external feedback. Since peer review groups allow students to take feedback from students on the same level as them, it makes it easier to understand the feedback compared to a teacher’s feedback.

Our group was considerably bigger than other groups in our tutorial class, which created difficulties in going through everyone’s submissions thoroughly and provide adequate feedback. In my peer review group, I was hesitant to provide feedbacks to others' drafts as I feared my thoughts and opinions would hold no value or I would have no feedbacks to give as their work seemed well written to me. At that time, I didn’t push myself to overcome my anxiety but seeing others give feedbacks to my fellow members and myself, helped me gain confidence. I prepared myself by rehearsing my feedbacks in the mirror to reduce my anxiety surrounding public speaking. Another issue I faced in the PRG was that upon receiving feedback I would accept it without asking for any elaboration. I shortly realized that this was inefficient, as it defeats the purpose of the peer feedback session. Thus it is something I’ll have to work on and improve upon in the future. Looking at the perspective of other people in my group, they have praised the ideas I brought to the table, and my clear understanding of the given tasks. Feedback is an essential part of the learning process. Effective feedback can motivate students, change their behavior, and improve their learning (Liu and Carless, 2006; Rubin, 2006; Biggs and Tang, 2007). This aligns with my view surrounding the effectiveness and importance of peer feedback allowing students to understand others' perspectives, broaden their knowledge and cultivate new perspectives of learning. Looking back at my previous experiences related to teamwork, I’m confident to say that I have learned a lot in this group. Through effective communication, meeting deadlines on tasks, and providing competent feedbacks on each other’s work, improves morale and enhances greater efficiency in any given task. Despite the minor setbacks I faced in my PRG, I’m happy that I was able to recognize and develop my weaknesses related to teamwork. In the future, I’ll be further developing my skills and values as an effective team member and as an effective team player. I’ll make sure to take part in any public speaking clubs to boost my self-confidence and to take part in leadership activities in my leisure time to challenge and improve my self-awareness thus, further developing transferable skills.

References

Baik.C., Mulder.R., & Pearce.J. (2009). Involving students in peer review. The University of Melbourne. https://melbournecshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/3590943/Involving-studentsin-peer-review.pdf...