Peer Evaluation System

A web application for students to submit peer evaluations for semester-long group projects.

Features

Core Evaluation

• Configurable Phases: Support for 1-5 evaluation phases per class
• Optional Final Evaluation: 23-point distribution among teammates
• Likert Scale Ratings: 5-point scale for Contribution, Communication, Reliability, Quality of Work, and Collaboration
• Scores & Comments: Score out of 100 and comments per phase, plus final overall comments
• Self-Evaluation: Students evaluate all group members including themselves
• Auto-Save: Evaluations auto-save as you type (with deadline protection)
• Minimum Word Count: Optional minimum word requirement for comments

Due Dates & Deadlines

• Per-Phase Due Dates: Set deadlines for each phase with cascading defaults
• Timezone Support: Configure due dates in your local timezone
• Deadline Enforcement: Past-due phases are locked with visual indicators

Administration

• Admin Dashboard: Manage users, groups, classes, and view all evaluations
• Progress Dashboard: Visual overview of class completion status
• Evaluation Heat Map: See exactly who has evaluated whom at a glance
• Reports Tab: Generate and export evaluation reports
• CSV Import: Bulk import users and groups via CSV files
• Multiple Instructors: Assign multiple instructors per class
• View as Student: Admins/teachers can preview any student's dashboard

User Experience

• Dark Mode: Toggle between light and dark themes
• Confetti Celebrations: Fun animations when completing all evaluations
• Class Selection Memory: Remembers your last selected class
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile devices

Due Date System

Per-Phase Due Dates

Each phase can have its own due date. The system uses cascading logic for phases without explicit dates:

• If a phase has no due date set, it inherits from the next phase with a date
• Example: If Phase 1 and 2 have no dates but Phase 3 is set to Dec 15, then Phases 1 and 2 also use Dec 15
• The last phase (or Final Evaluation if enabled) is always required

Deadline Enforcement

• Students cannot submit or modify evaluations after the phase deadline
• Past-due phases show a lock icon in the UI
• Teachers and admins can always edit regardless of deadlines

Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm

Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install
npm run dev

The backend runs on http://localhost:3001

Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install
npm start

The frontend runs on http://localhost:3000

Default Admin Account

• Email: admin@example.com
• Password: admin123

CSV Formats

Users CSV

email,password,first_name,last_name,role
student1@example.com,password123,John,Doe,student
student2@example.com,password123,Jane,Smith,student
teacher1@example.com,password123,Prof,Jones,teacher

Groups CSV

group_name,user_email
Team Alpha,student1@example.com
Team Alpha,student2@example.com
Team Beta,student3@example.com

API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/login - Login
• GET /api/auth/me - Get current user

Users (Admin only)

• GET /api/users - List all users
• POST /api/users - Create user
• POST /api/users/upload-csv - Bulk import users
• PUT /api/users/:id - Update user
• DELETE /api/users/:id - Delete user

Classes (Admin/Teacher)

• GET /api/classes - List classes (filtered by role)
• POST /api/classes - Create class
• PUT /api/classes/:id - Update class (including phase due dates)
• DELETE /api/classes/:id - Delete class

Groups (Admin only for management)

• GET /api/groups - List all groups
• GET /api/groups/my/group - Get current user's group
• POST /api/groups - Create group
• POST /api/groups/upload-csv - Bulk import groups
• POST /api/groups/:id/members - Add member to group
• DELETE /api/groups/:id - Delete group

Evaluations

• GET /api/evaluations/my-evaluations - Get user's submitted evaluations
• GET /api/evaluations/is-read-only - Check if phase is past due
• POST /api/evaluations - Submit/update evaluation
• POST /api/evaluations/final-comments - Submit/update final comments
• GET /api/evaluations/all - Get all evaluations (admin only)
• GET /api/evaluations/all-final-comments - Get all final comments (admin only)
• GET /api/evaluations/summary/:userId - Get evaluation summary (admin only)

Evaluation Criteria (Likert Scale 1-5)

1. Contribution - Level of contribution to the project
2. Communication - Quality and frequency of communication
3. Reliability - Dependability and meeting deadlines
4. Quality of Work - Quality and thoroughness of work produced
5. Collaboration - Ability to work well with others

Class Configuration

When creating or editing a class, you can configure:

• Class Name: Required identifier for the class
• Section: Optional section number (e.g., "001")
• Semester: Optional semester label (e.g., "Fall 2024")
• Number of Phases: 1-5 evaluation phases
• Final Evaluation: Enable/disable the 23-point distribution
• Due Date Timezone: Select from common US timezones or UTC
• Phase Due Dates: Set individual deadlines per phase
• Minimum Comment Words: Optional minimum word count for evaluation comments
• Instructors: Assign one or more instructors

Admin Dashboard Tabs

The admin dashboard is organized into tabs (ordered by frequency of use):

1. Progress - Monitor evaluation completion across the class

   • Overall completion percentage with progress bar
   • Per-phase completion breakdown
   • Evaluation Heat Map: Visual matrix showing who evaluated whom
   • "Who Needs a Nudge?" section listing incomplete students
   • Filter by group
   • Confetti celebration when class reaches 100% completion

2. Reports - View and analyze evaluation results

   • Summary statistics per student
   • Detailed evaluation breakdowns
   • Export capabilities

3. Evaluations - Browse all submitted evaluations

   • Filter by phase, student, or group
   • View individual evaluation details

4. Groups - Manage student groups

   • Create/edit/delete groups
   • CSV bulk import
   • View group membership

5. Users - Manage system users

   • Create/edit/delete users
   • CSV bulk import
   • Role management (admin, teacher, student)
   • Password reset

Security

• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt with 10 salt rounds
• JWT-based authentication
• Set JWT_SECRET environment variable in production
• Role-based access control (admin, teacher, student)