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<p>Prior meta-analyses and meta-regression studies on peer feedback have consistently observed benefits for providers, but alongside notable and unexplained variability in effect sizes. While some students exhibit minor learning gains from providing feedback, others display significant improvements. We hypothesized that the features of students’ comments may play pivotal roles in the variability of learning by providing. To test these hypotheses, we strategically selected 12 assignments from a comprehensive dataset generated in an online peer feedback platform: six assignments demonstrating weak learning outcomes and six strong ones. The study particularly focused on variation in near-transfer learning rather than improved performance in revised version of the same assignment. Peer comments were strategically selected controlling for comment <i>length</i> and coded on two key dimensions: <i>feedback focus</i> and <i>feedback specificity</i>. Our results revealed that assignments with weak learning outcomes displayed a predominance of lengthy form-focused comments. Conversely, assignments with strong effects were characterized by a prevalence of questions for clarification, suggestions for improvement, and direct revisions concerning content issues. Another notable finding was although the strong cases addressed more content issues than the weak cases did, the difference was not statistically significant, which indicated that the key factor was not simply the greater number of content-focused comments but their specificity. Emphasizing an integrated perspective, we proposed that the ratio of specific content-focused comments to form-focused comments was crucial for identifying situations conducive to student learning through providing feedback. Conceptually, these findings are explained by variation in behavioral engagement and cognitive engagement of the feedback provider.</p>

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Beyond small gains: how content-focused high-specificity peer feedback correlates with substantial provider benefits

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月6日

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  • Jing Yang,
  • Christian D. Schunn

摘要

Prior meta-analyses and meta-regression studies on peer feedback have consistently observed benefits for providers, but alongside notable and unexplained variability in effect sizes. While some students exhibit minor learning gains from providing feedback, others display significant improvements. We hypothesized that the features of students’ comments may play pivotal roles in the variability of learning by providing. To test these hypotheses, we strategically selected 12 assignments from a comprehensive dataset generated in an online peer feedback platform: six assignments demonstrating weak learning outcomes and six strong ones. The study particularly focused on variation in near-transfer learning rather than improved performance in revised version of the same assignment. Peer comments were strategically selected controlling for comment length and coded on two key dimensions: feedback focus and feedback specificity. Our results revealed that assignments with weak learning outcomes displayed a predominance of lengthy form-focused comments. Conversely, assignments with strong effects were characterized by a prevalence of questions for clarification, suggestions for improvement, and direct revisions concerning content issues. Another notable finding was although the strong cases addressed more content issues than the weak cases did, the difference was not statistically significant, which indicated that the key factor was not simply the greater number of content-focused comments but their specificity. Emphasizing an integrated perspective, we proposed that the ratio of specific content-focused comments to form-focused comments was crucial for identifying situations conducive to student learning through providing feedback. Conceptually, these findings are explained by variation in behavioral engagement and cognitive engagement of the feedback provider.