Within Peer Review assignments, Packback handles peer matching automatically with no setup or manual pairing required. Here's how the system works and what rules are always in effect.
How Students Are Matched
When a student clicks "Start New Peer Review," the system matches them to the classmate whose submission has received the fewest reviews so far, or the peer with the highest "need." This keeps feedback distributed as evenly as possible across the class.
A few rules are always in place:
- A student cannot be matched with their own submission
- A student cannot be assigned to the same peer twice within the same assignment
- If multiple students have the same level of need, the system selects randomly from that pool
- If section-based matchmaking is enabled, students are only paired with submissions from peers in their own Community section
How Matching Fits Into the Assignment Flow
- Students submit their writing to their Deep Dive Assignment
- Students enter their Peer Review assignment and click "Start New Peer Review"
- The system automatically matches them to the peer submission with the highest need for feedback
- Students read and complete their review, then return to the Peer Review assignment page
- They click "Start New Peer Review" again and repeat until they've met the assignment requirements
Note: After each review is submitted, the student who received it is notified and can view their feedback immediately.
Why Automated Matching?
Manual peer review pairing creates common, predictable problems: a single late submission leaves a student without a partner, adds and drops require constant readjustment, and uneven feedback distribution often goes unnoticed until grading.
Because Packback's matching happens in real time — and students must submit before they can review — the available pool always reflects the current state of your class. Students who add or drop are accommodated automatically, and every student receives a roughly equal amount of peer feedback without any intervention on your end.
How to Set Up Section-Based Matchmaking
Section-based matchmaking applies all the same needs-based rules, but limits matches to students within the same Community section.
To enable this setting:
- Navigate to the Add Peer Review or Edit Peer Review Assignment page for the assignment
- Under Additional Settings, enable "Match students from the same section"
Note: Students must be assigned to sections before this setting takes effect. Learn how in: How to assign students to sections
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