Pull Requests From The Classroom: Co-Developing Curriculum And Code

TL;DR

This paper presents a case study on co-developing a peer feedback system with instructors to better align educational technology with pedagogical goals, revealing both benefits and challenges.

Contribution

It demonstrates the process and outcomes of collaboratively developing educational software alongside course delivery, highlighting the importance of close coordination.

Findings

Improved alignment between software features and course goals.

Usability limitations and infrastructure frustrations identified.

Co-development fosters stronger pedagogical alignment.

Abstract

Educational technologies often misalign with instructors' pedagogical goals, forcing adaptations that compromise teaching efficacy. In this paper, we present a case study on the co-development of curriculum and technology in the context of a university course on scientific writing. Specifically, we examine how a custom-built peer feedback system was iteratively developed alongside the course to support annotation, feedback exchange, and revision. Results show that while co-development fostered stronger alignment between software features and course goals, it also exposed usability limitations and infrastructure-related frustrations, emphasizing the need for closer coordination between teaching and technical teams.