Use Peer Review in Canvas Assignments

Quick Links: | Prerequisites |Set up peer review in a Canvas assignment| Troubleshooting | Next Steps |

Introduction

Peer review in Canvas assignments helps students improve drafts before a final submission by receiving feedback from classmates. This works best when peer review is built into a drafting cycle so students have time to revise after they receive comments. Instructors can choose whether Canvas assigns reviewers automatically or whether reviewers are assigned manually. This guide explains how to set up peer review, decide on anonymity, and improve the quality and completion of student feedback.

Prerequisites

• You have an assignment where students can submit a draft before the final version.
• You have clear evaluation criteria (a rubric, checklist, or standards) aligned to the assignment outcomes.
• You can allocate class time or structured out-of-class time for training, reviewing, and revision.

Set up peer review in a Canvas assignment

To enable peer review on an assignment, do the following:

1. In your Canvas course, open Assignments.
2. Select an existing assignment, or select + Assignment to create a new one.
3. In the assignment settings, locate Peer Reviews.
4. Select Require Peer Reviews.
5. Select Save.

Now the assignment is configured to use peer review. Next, decide whether Canvas should assign reviewers automatically or whether you will assign them manually.

Choose automatic or manual reviewer assignment

There are several ways to assign peer reviews. Automatic assignment works well for larger classes or when you want Canvas to handle pairings. Manual assignment works well when you want control over who reviews whom (or when late/non-submitters require intervention).

Assign reviewers automatically

To have Canvas assign reviewers for you, do the following:

1. In the assignment settings, locate Peer Reviews.
2. Select Automatically Assign Peer Reviews.
3. Set Reviews Per User to the number of peer reviews each student must complete.
4. Set Assign Reviews to the date/time when Canvas should assign reviews (commonly after the draft due date).
5. Select Save.

Now Canvas will assign peer reviews at the time you selected.

Assign reviewers manually

To assign reviewers yourself, do the following:

1. In the assignment settings, locate Peer Reviews.
2. Leave Automatically Assign Peer Reviews unchecked.
3. Select Save.
4. After students submit, open the assignment and assign peer reviews from the submission details area.
5. Now you control the reviewer assignments, which can help if some students submit late or need specific pairing.

Make peer review anonymous when appropriate

Anonymous peer review can reduce social pressure and encourage more candid feedback.

To enable anonymous peer reviews (when available), do the following:

1. In the assignment settings, locate Peer Reviews.
2. Select Anonymous Peer Reviews.
3. Select Save.

Now student names are hidden from peers during peer review, while instructors and TAs can still view reviewer identities in instructor-facing views.

Help students give useful feedback with rubrics and prompts

Peer review is more effective when students know what to look for and what “useful feedback” includes.

To improve feedback quality, do the following:

1. Add a rubric aligned to the assignment outcomes.
2. Provide focused prompts students must respond to during the peer review, such as:
   • What is the strongest part of this draft, and why?
   • Where is the claim or purpose unclear?
   • What evidence is missing or needs explanation?
   • What is one specific change the writer should make next?
3. Consider a short practice activity (a “mock review”) using a sample draft before the first real peer review.

Now students have a shared structure for feedback, which typically increases specificity and usefulness.

Troubleshooting

If students report they can’t complete peer reviews or can’t see peer review feedback, try the following:

• Non-submission: If a student did not submit, Canvas may not be able to assign a peer review automatically for that student. Consider requiring a draft submission or assigning reviews manually.
• Late submissions: Late submissions may require manual peer review assignment so the student both receives and completes reviews.
• Rubric feedback not visible: In some grading workflows, rubric feedback may not be visible to students until grades are posted. If students report missing rubric feedback, review whether the assignment has been graded/posted.
• Assignment type limitations: Some assignment types may require manual peer review assignment. If automatic assignment is not working as expected, use manual assignment for that activity.

Next Steps (Optional)