Using peer ranking to enhance student writing

摘要

What do we want our students to get out of the introductory physics course? Often these goals include improved conceptual understanding, improved critical thinking and improved writing and communication. These can be difficult goals to accomplish. One possible way to address these goals is through the use of peer ranking of student writing. In a peer ranking assignment, students not only answer a conceptual question but they also evaluate other students' answers. With a normal writing assignment, once students answer a question the students' involvement has ended. With a peer ranking assignment, students actively focus on both writing and physics.