Sometimes it’s good to step back and take a look at something from a distance. Meta-analyses provide some of that perspective. They take a bundle of individual studies, combine their findings, and offer an empirical view of a phenomenon—in this instance, students reviewing their peers. A recent analysis inquired about the general effects of peer review on learning and the factors that influenced those effects. Do the many benefits proposed actually accrue when students exchange feedback with their peers? The researchers note that an array of individual studies offer mixed results.
