EvaluMate: Using AI to support students’ feedback provision in peer assessment for writing

Abstract

Peer feedback plays an important role in promoting learning in the writing classroom. However, providing high-quality feedback can be demanding for student reviewers. To address this challenge, this article proposes an AI-enhanced approach to peer feedback provision. I introduce EvaluMate, a newly developed online peer review system that leverages ChatGPT, a large language model (LLM), to scaffold student reviewers’ feedback generation. I discuss the design and functionality of EvaluMate, highlighting its affordances in supporting student reviewers’ provision of comments on peers’ essays. I also address the system’s limitations and propose potential solutions. Furthermore, I recommend future research on students’ engagement with this learning approach and its impact on learning outcomes. By presenting EvaluMate, I aim to inspire researchers and practitioners to explore the potential of AI technology in the teaching, learning, and assessment of writing.