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The implicit assumption of any peer grading arrangement is that students with minimal direction can do what humanities professors get paid to do and I think that’s the fatal flaw of these arrangements. This assumption not only undermines the authority of professors everywhere; it suggests that the only important part of college instruction is the content that professors transmit to their students.
Via Peter B. Sloep, Learning Environments, Peter Mellow
A insightful and thorough critique of why peer grading in the humanities won't work. Jonathan Rees is a professor of history himself who uses peer assessment in this classes a lot certainly is the right person to pass judgement (note the difference between assessment and grading, the former is formative, the latter summative). And it is negative. Indeed, he argues that if this practice were to catch on, it suggests grading (in the humanities) is easy, while in actual fact it is through careful comments and not the grades per se that people learn. Actuallly, I think this applies quite generallly. It is through reflection that you learn deeply, good feedback helps you reflect more deeply and a grade isn't good feedback. (@pbsloep)