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What are the potential drawbacks of relying on peer feedback in e-learning environments?

Carli Messingham

Peer feedback has become a crucial part of e-learning environments in recent years. It allows learners to receive feedback from their peers, thus enhancing their learning experience. However, relying solely on peer feedback has its potential drawbacks that can impact the quality of learning outcomes. In this response, I will discuss some of these drawbacks and how they can affect the learning process.

One of the main drawbacks of relying on peer feedback is that not all peers are equally competent to provide feedback. Peer feedback is only useful if it comes from a peer who has a good understanding of the subject matter. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and learners may end up receiving feedback that is not useful or even inaccurate. This can, in turn, lead to a lack of progress or even confusion about what is expected from their assignments.

Another issue with relying on peer feedback is that learners may receive biased feedback. Peers may unconsciously give positive feedback to their friends or negative feedback to those they do not like. Similarly, learners might not feel comfortable giving feedback that may be perceived as negative, leading to an incomplete picture of the assignment quality.

Moreover, relying solely on peer feedback may limit the potential progress of a learner. Peer feedback is often based on personal preferences and experiences, which may not align with the instructor's objectives. This can lead to students not receiving the necessary guidance on how to advance effectively, leaving their progress and final grade at the mercy of their peers, and not giving them the opportunity to fully develop their skills.

Another drawback is the lack of diversity in peer feedback. If learners only stick to getting feedback within their small peer group, the feedback received will be limited in diversity. Learners would be missing out on different perspectives, formats, and opinions, thereby reducing the potential excellence of an assignment.

Lastly, relying exclusively on peer feedback can reduce the benefits of a teacher's guidance. While peer feedback could improve learning outcomes, it should not substitute or replace an instructor's feedback. The teacher is the professional in charge of guiding and helping learners reach their full potential, and they are better equipped with the skill and experience needed to evaluate assignments properly.

In conclusion, peer feedback is indeed a beneficial learning practice, but it needs to be balanced with other teaching methods. While peer feedback can reinforce the learning of a skill, it is not a substitute for a teacher's input and guidance. Peer feedback should be considered a helpful method but not the sole source of feedback. Given these many potential drawbacks, it’s critical to utilize different types of feedback to help learners reach their full potential.