Abstract: BACKGROUND: The Communication Disorders and Nursing Programs
conducted a pilot study to examine the value of peer review as an educational
strategy to improve graduate student writing and understanding of course
assignments. PARTICIPANTS: Graduate students enrolled in a communication
disorders diagnostic process course, a health policy course, or a philosophical
foundations course (N=120). METHODS: Students participated as a peer reviewer for their final
assignment. The reviewer read the draft assignment and provided comments.
Additionally, nursing students read their papers out loud to the peer reviewer.
Students submitted their draft assignment to their professor. The nursing
drafts were graded. Students revised and submitted the final assignment for a
grade. Students completed a questionnaire at the end of the course to provide
feedback about the value of peer review. RESULTS: A 65% response rate was obtained. Students (89.9%) felt
that the draft was helpful, the partner was helpful (70.9%), and 78.5%
incorporated the suggestions of the peer reviewer. Overall, grades improved
from the draft version to the final version for each assignment. CONCLUSION: The pilot study showed that peer review was an effective
educational strategy to improve student grades and conceptual understanding of
the material.
