Effectiveness of peer review as cooperative web-based learning method applied out-of-class in a role playing game: A case study by quasi-experimental approach

Education at universities requires a high proportion of self-study supported by instruments which motivate students to deepen their knowledge with case studies and training software. The gain in learning is higher when what is learned is reflected by others in a cooperative process. The Class Peer Review (CPR) requires from students to evaluate each other but lecturers lose a lot of time when applying it during the lecture. Research on CPR shows many different approaches to how this method should be carried out effectively and many of them still demand a high presence of the lecturer. In contrast to most studies, this article reports the results of a CPR conducted outside the classroom and assisted by a web-supported role playing game representing a publisher where a common online class journal is used as an incentive and motivational element. The effectiveness of CPR was examined by means of a quasi-experimental study. It turned out that the experimental group used the training software significantly more frequently in addition to the lecture materials and a meaningful increase in group dynamics was recorded. Also female students were more motivated to continue this type of group work in the future. Final grades were better under CPR conditions, but the effect was statistically weak. Basically, the CPR method seems to be an effective tool to extend problem-based teaching to the self-learning phase if practiced in combinaktion with a role play and fictive Class-Journals as incentive. This provides further potential to e-learning instruments.