Examining peer review network dynamics in higher education visual communication courses using ERGM

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Peer review plays a pivotal role in shaping collaborative learning environments and evaluating student engagement, but there is a lack of research on the relational dynamics that underlie the interactions between students during the peer review process, which is critical for understanding the effectiveness of peer review for students’ learning outcomes. Using explanatory sequential study design, this study’s objectives are to explore the dynamics of peer review as a feedback mechanism in higher education within a social network context, focusing on student interactions during the feedback process. Specifically, we applied dyadic-independent Exponential Random Graph Modeling (ERGM), along with mixed-methods design to analyze peer review interactions within a visual communication course at a large state university. We collected and analyzed two samples: a quantitative sample of 167 students for network analysis, drawn from 3082 peer reviews and rubric scores, and a qualitative sample of 136 students from post-course surveys that provided feedback on the peer review process and course methodologies. Our investigation revealed the inherently social network nature of peer review, shedding light on its significance in engaging students and assessing student engagement. Specifically, we examined the role of students’ performance levels, edge-based attributes derived from the visual peer review rubric, and language used in the feedback on the likelihood of forming peer review connections in the network. Our findings indicate that attributes derived from the visual peer review rubric significantly influence the likelihood of peer connections. On the other hand, students’ performance levels do not have any impact on the formation of peer connections. The findings highlight the importance of visual peer review activities in shaping peer connections in the classroom. Future studies will incorporate higher-order structures, such as transitivity and triadic closure, into our ERGM model to further enhance our understanding of peer review dynamics in educational settings.