Collaboration and peer review

Collaborative projects and peer review are still possible at a distance. Begin by considering what interactions absolutely must need to be synchronous. Given the likelihood that students will be accessing from various time zones and with unstable connectivity, it may be necessary to adapt activities for asynchronous interactions.

For synchronous activities, set break out rooms and set up times to meet virtually (using your LMS to have a non-recorded meeting without you), or allow students to gather to work on Google Docs/Sheets/Slides, Facetime chats or LMS-mediated collaborative events. Synchronous meetings with the instructor can be used to have each group report out and give feedback. Recorded mini-presentations from students could also be employed to evaluate asynchronously. 

Some who use peer evaluations in their face-to-face classrooms may want to do more of the same for group activity. In many ways, this is a mechanism to help students to be connected and create a culture of learning. Studies indicate that active participation in collaborative learning correlates with learners’ satisfaction.