Anonymity to Promote Peer Feedback: Pre-Service Teachers' Comments in Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication

In this quasi-experimental case study, we compared five sections of a basic undergraduate technology course. Within an asynchronous web forum, pre-service teachers wrote short critiques of websites designed by their classmates. This peer feedback was provided anonymously by students in two classes (...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of educational computing research 2010-01, Vol.43 (1), p.89-112
Main Authors: Howard, Craig D., Barrett, Andrew F., Frick, Theodore W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of Patterns in Time
Asynchronous Communication
College Instruction
Computer Assisted Instruction
Computer Mediated Communication
Discourse Analysis
Discussion Groups
Education Courses
Educational Technology
Evaluation Methods
Feedback (Response)
Internet
Peer Evaluation
Preservice Teacher Education
Preservice Teachers
Student Projects
Teaching Methods
Web Sites
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In this quasi-experimental case study, we compared five sections of a basic undergraduate technology course. Within an asynchronous web forum, pre-service teachers wrote short critiques of websites designed by their classmates. This peer feedback was provided anonymously by students in two classes (n = 35) whereas providers and recipients of peer feedback were identified by their real names in three other classes (n = 37). Computer-Mediated discourse analysis methods (Herring, 2004) were used to code student written comments according to substance and tone of feedback. Next, we estimated likelihoods of specific feedback patterns through Analysis of Patterns in Time (Frick, 1990). Results indicated that students who were anonymous were approximately five times more likely to provide substantively critical feedback than were those whose identities were known to their recipients. When feedback was given anonymously, students were approximately four times more likely to provide reasons for needed improvement to a website, and then to suggest design alternatives. In light of advantages afforded by this form of pseudonymity, we conclude with a discussion of pedagogical prescriptions for supporting learners' production of feedback.
ISSN:0735-6331
1541-4140
DOI:10.2190/EC.43.1.f