A presentation from the STEM Annual Conference 2014.
PeerWise is a free easy-to-use online tool that allows students to create multiple-choice questions (MCQs) which can be answered commented upon and rated by other students. The process of creating multiple choice questions encourages students to think critically about a topic thus improving their understanding. PeerWise tracks student contributions awards badges based upon completion of set tasks and creates a student ranking based upon “reputation” and “answer” scores. These gaming features have been highlighted as the driver behind PeerWise’s success.
PeerWise use has so far been restricted to students taking modules within a single institution. This project reports on an innovative use of PeerWise: the creation of a joint PeerWise course across two Institutions (Kingston University and University of Huddersfield) shared by students taking comparable modules within professionally accredited undergraduate BSc Nutrition degrees. Each student was asked to create 9 MCQs answer 45 and comment on 9. The PeerWise task is formative; to incentivise continuous engagement with PeerWise interim deadlines were set for part-completion of the task and the two students who achieve the highest reputation and answer scores across the two institutions will receive a student membership to a relevant professional body.
A follow-up focus group and questionnaire planned for March 2014 will evaluate the students’ experience with findings to be reported at the conference. Those interested in online communities of learning may consider the ideas of this project in order to increase student engagement across a diverse student body help develop key transferable skills and foster cross-institution collaboration.
