Technology-Enhanced Peer Assessment via FeedbackFruits: A Multi-Framework Evaluation of Digital Technology Integration in Pedagogical Design

Abstract

The rapid digitalisation of higher education has intensified interest in educational technologies that support engagement, collaboration and meaningful learning. However, research consistently demonstrates that technology alone does not improve educational outcomes; rather, impact depends on the quality of pedagogical integration. Emerging educational technologies such as FeedbackFruits are increasingly used to support innovative, student-centred pedagogy in higher education, particularly within digitally mediated and culturally diverse learning environments. This study investigates how the integration of FeedbackFruits within a large postgraduate programme at a UK university influences student engagement, peer interaction, and feedback practices among a predominantly international cohort. This study adopts an integrated theoretical lens combining the Community of Inquiry (CoI), Constructive Alignment (CA), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) frameworks to evaluate the pedagogical integration of FeedbackFruits for technology-enhanced peer assessment. The CoI framework is used to examine how meaningful learning emerges through the interplay of cognitive, social, and teaching presence in online and blended environments. Within this framing, FeedbackFruits is analysed as a mediating tool that structures and sustains these presences by enabling dialogic peer interaction and iterative feedback processes. CA informs the pedagogical design by emphasising coherence between intended learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessment strategies. The platform’s affordances, including rubric-guided peer review and sequenced collaborative tasks, are examined in relation to how they support aligned and transparent assessment practices. The TPACK framework further situates technology use within the intersection of pedagogy and disciplinary content, highlighting that effective integration depends on pedagogical intent rather than technological novelty. Drawing on a case study involving over 700 postgraduate students who were introduced to FeedbackFruits, the research analyses student participation data, reflective feedback, and learning analytics to explore how structured peer review and collaborative activities shape the learning experience. Findings indicate strong evidence of engagement, reflective learning, accountability, feedback literacy and collaborative participation. Students spent substantial time reviewing peer contributions, generated extensive feedback comments and engaged in structured self-assessment processes through FeedbackFruits. The study argues that transformative digital learning emerges when technology is selected through TPACK principles, embedded through CA and enacted through CoI processes. Overall, the paper suggests that the value of educational technology lies in its meaningful integration with pedagogical frameworks, offering insights for designing inclusive and engaging learning environments in higher education.