Collaborative learning offers students invaluable opportunities to develop teamwork skills that are crucial for professional success. In film-making courses, it is particularly critical, as producing a high-quality short film demands both technical expertise and cohesive teamwork across diverse roles.
In my film-making module, where students worked in teams to produce short films, I observed recurring issues of low individual engagement and social loafing. Students not serving as directors or writers sometimes disconnected from the project, viewing it as “his or her film, not mine”. This lack of ownership diminished their motivation, adversely affecting the quality of the final product and creating frustration among more invested team members.
I turned to peer assessment as a potential solution. By involving students in evaluating their peers’ contributions and ideas, I hoped to foster a greater sense of responsibility, engagement and mutual accountability within the teams.
Two effective assessment methods
I implemented two key peer assessment activities: anonymous peer voting and peer feedback sessions for a cohort of 53 students producing 10 short films.
1. Anonymous peer voting
At the beginning of the semester, all students had to pitch their short film ideas in class. After the presentation, each student anonymously voted for their top three pitches, based on creativity and feasibility, using a form I had created. This activity encouraged active listening and engaged students in the decision-making process. Guided by their votes and my professional judgement, I selected the top 10 ideas.
2. Peer feedback sessions
Over the semester, student groups participated in three structured peer feedback sessions at critical stages: screenwriting, pre-production and editing. Each session involved two to three groups sharing their phased work results and offering each other critiques. This provided a platform for constructive feedback, idea exchange and collaborative learning.
These interventions were not without challenges. Some students initially found the feedback sessions stressful, especially when their ideas were questioned. However, with proper guidance, they could better focus on solutions and make the most of the diverse perspectives of their classmates.
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Impacts of the interventions
The peer assessment activities had a noticeable impact on student engagement and the quality of the final projects.
The anonymous voting process significantly increased students’ attentiveness during pitch presentations. They reported that voting made them listen more carefully, and many expressed excitement when their preferred ideas were selected. Even those whose ideas were not chosen, students appreciated the overall fairness of the process, acknowledging the merit of the selected concepts.
The feedback sessions were similarly impactful, with most students finding them helpful for improving their projects. Students valued the fresh perspectives offered by their peers, which often challenged their assumptions and pushed them to refine their work. For example, one student remarked that preparing for the sessions prompted more frequent team discussions, resulting in enhanced collaboration.
The benefits of heightened engagement were evident in the quality of the films. The films produced by this year’s cohort were much stronger compared with those from previous years.
Lessons learned
It is crucial to provide context and guidance to help students critique work outside their immediate expertise or genre. While some students may initially question the relevance of such exercises, explaining how cross-genre feedback broadens perspectives and sharpens critical thinking can help them approach the activity with greater openness and curiosity. Framing diversity in creative approaches as a strength fosters more constructive exchanges.
It is also vital to manage emotional dynamics in the feedback process. These kinds of sessions can provoke complex feelings, such as frustration or defensiveness, particularly when students’ decisions or work are questioned. Instructors should actively facilitate these sessions, fostering a constructive environment where students can transform critique into a growth opportunity. Encouraging students to view feedback as a chance to improve rather than as a personal judgement could help them build resilience and confidence.
To further enhance accountability, use peer evaluation forms to obtain feedback from students about their teammates’ contributions. This is an effective way to discourage social loafing and clarify each group member’s contribution, leading to higher levels of collaboration and a fairer distribution of effort.
These activities were designed not only to enhance engagement but also to instil a sense of shared responsibility and ownership, making each student feel more invested in their collaborative projects. By creating a structured, inclusive environment, educators can mitigate the challenges of collaborative learning and enhance individual accountability while cultivating a collaborative spirit, leading to richer learning experiences and higher-quality outcomes.
Qian Zhuang is an assistant professor at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s Academy of Film and Creative Technology.
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