This post summarizes the August 2024 Use FeedbackFruits Tools for Peer Learning: Basics session facilitated by ATSS. During the session, ATSS consultants presented an overview of the four FeedbackFruits peer learning tools and explored how to create a FeedbackFruits assignment in Canvas. Session participants completed a FeedbackFruits assignment as a student.
Key Takeaways
Introduction to FeedbackFruits
The University of Minnesota is in year three of its license with FeedbackFruits. While UMN licenses four of FeedbackFruits tools, our session focused on the two tools that most directly support peer learning:
Set up and use FeedbackFruits in Canvas
Because FeedbackFruits is integrated into Canvas, some considerations should be kept in mind so that students are not confused by the information they see in Canvas compared to what they see in FeedbackFruits.
A few important notes about FeedbackFruits assignments:
- You will start by creating a Canvas Assignment. Enter a title and due dates.
- Next, use the external tool option to select FeedbackFruits.
- For the FeedbackFruits assignment, enter instructions for each step of the assignment: 1) Submission, 2) Given Reviews, 3) Received Reviews, 4) Self-Assessments, and 5) Reflections.
- Assignments can be set to individuals or groups (and will pull Canvas groups).
- FeedbackFruits offers a few generative AI capabilities. For example, students can use the AI feature to help them write effective feedback. Learn more about FeedbackFruits AI features.
See Canvas: How to set up a FeedbackFruits activity for a complete guide.
Monitor student progress
FeedbackFruits offers various ways to monitor student progress. It is important to note that FeedbackFruits assignments do NOT use the Canvas Speedgrader. Instead, they use the FeedbackFruits grading interface, which looks similar to their grade set-up interface for instructors.
Instructors can monitor the overall progress of the class or dig into an individual student’s data. For the Submission step in the FeedbackFruits assignment, submission analytics are available, as is the ability to view students’ submitted work. In the Given Review assignment step, instructors can view the peer reviews and ratings and identify who is assigned to review whom. In the Received Reviews step, you can again see the overall progress for all students and the ability to dig into any individual student’s progress and their review/s to their peers.
Prepare students to use FeedbackFruits
Sharing information with students about the learning technologies used in your course is a good practice. This might include how-to guides for the tool, why you have chosen to use it, and/or facilitating students’ comfort with the tool with a low-stakes practice assignment.
Resources
- Use FeedbackFruits Tools for Peer Learning: Basics - August 2024 slides
- FeedbackFruits Usability Testing: Issues and Recommendations
- Accessibility in FeedbackFruits
- Collaborative Learning Challenges? FeedbackFruits Might Help
- What's new in UMN learning technologies for Fall 2024
- Subscribe to the Teaching with Technology Google group to receive the monthly newsletter
Contributors
Jennifer Englund and Annette McNamara contributed to the creation and writing of this post.
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