Authors, reviewers, and instructors can discuss submissions

Associated with each CrowdGrader submission is a forum where submission author, reviewers, and instructors can discuss the submission.  This can help clarify any problems that might arise during the review process.  For example, authors that make minor mistakes that might prevent the reviewers from properly evaluating their submissions can alert the reviewers.  Reviewers who are unable to understand parts of the submission can ask the author for clarifications.  The goal is to have a more transparent review process, where submission authors have confidence that their submission is properly evaluated, and reviewers have all the information they need.

Recently, we have given instructors the ability to actively participate in these discussion forums.  Here is an example of how this works.

A discussion between submission
author and reviewers, as seen
by the instructor.

The instructor can add a message.

The discussion, with the message
added by the instructor.

Reviewers can annotate submissions, and upload them with their reviews

A new feature of CrowdGrader enables reviewers to upload files with their review.  In this way, students can collaborate with reviewers using any file format, from pdf, to doc, to file bundles for code.  For example, students can download essays or papers in pdf/doc format, annotate them in place, then upload the annotated versions of the files together with their reviews.

This feature is already in successful use in some early-adopter classes.  We hope it might be useful to you!