Understanding how embedded peer comments affect student quiz scores, academic writing and lecture note-taking accuracy

Purpose: This study aims to better understand the relationship between peer feedback in the context of online collaborative note-taking and how comments impacted student performance and understanding. 

Design/methodology/approach: This one sample investigation was of graduate students participating in an academic writing class working collaboratively online. Data was gathered on student feedback during note-taking activity to test for its effects on student performance and understanding. 

Findings: The use of peer comments in online note-taking was found to impact student quiz scores and academic writing skills positively. However, no significance was found between comments and the completeness of their notes taken, suggesting its limits to promote deeper understanding. 

Research limitations/implications: The level and detail about the comments made and how accurately they recall the important details from the video lectures is not known. The average number of comments made weekly by each group was also low. 

Practical implications: Designers and teachers using online collaborative activities could benefit by understanding the nature in which peer comments can enhance student learning, bearing in mind the need for explicit guidance in how to comment and at what level of knowledge their comments should target. 

Social implications: Online collaboration, peer editing and commenting is widely used by educators and the public. A better understanding of how these elements operate might improve the quality of knowledge artefacts such as academic writing and research notes. 

Originality/value: Existing literature focuses mainly on peer feedback on writing or other artefacts; this paper seeks to find out more about the impact of comments in particular on collaborative note-taking. Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.