ComPAIR vs SPARKPLUS
ComPAIR
github.comSPARKPLUS
sparkplus.com.auSide by side
| Figure | ComPAIR | SPARKPLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Peer Assessment Software | 7.8 (#7) | 6.7 (#15) |
| Deployment | The README documents running ComPAIR with Docker Compose and accessing it at localhost:8080. | SPARKPLUS is web-based and platform independent; students need only a browser and do not install software. |
| Intended users | UBC describes ComPAIR as a tool for instructors and students to conduct peer assessment by comparing answers and providing feedback. | The product is presented for academics and students in higher education group work and collaborative learning. |
| Purpose | ComPAIR is a peer review application that pairs student answers so students can compare peer work and give feedback. | SPARKPLUS supports self and peer assessment, academic standards and benchmarking, and collaborative learning activities. |
| Support | The ComPAIR site says its support site has moved to compair.open.ubc.ca. | The contact page accepts licensing and other enquiries and says the team typically responds by email. |
Plans
In their own words
ComPAIR
ComPAIR is a self-hosted web application for peer review in which students compare pairs of work and give feedback with both answers in view. Instructors can enable adaptive scores based on comparison outcomes and use them to assemble later pairs. The application has student, instructor, and system administrator roles with distinct permissions, plus rubric scoring and moderation tools. It supports LTI login, course membership, and grade updates; administrators configure LTI consumers with a key and secret. Documented authentication options also include username and password, CAS, and SAML 2.0. Learning analytics can be sent to a Learning Record Store through xAPI or Caliper, though both are disabled by default. The default attachment limit is 250 MB, with PDF, audio, video, and image extensions allowed. Administrators can manage whether instructors see student email addresses and CAS/SAML usernames; those fields are disabled by default. ComPAIR is open source under GPL-3.0 and freely available to download, install, and use. Its README documents deployment with Docker Compose, with access at localhost:8080. The tool is described as suitable for higher education and K-12 communities.
SPARKPLUS
SPARKPLUS is a web-based service for higher-education group work and collaborative learning. It supports self and peer assessment, academic standards, benchmarking, and collaborative activities. In group assessments, students confidentially rate their own and peers’ contributions; results can support individualized marks and structured feedback. Academics can set criteria around task requirements, teamwork, and professional skills. Multi-choice activities may allow multiple attempts and immediate feedback, including collaborative variants. Tutor or instructor benchmarking supports shared standards and assessment consistency. Monitoring tools address teams, performance levels, early intervention, moderation, and possible non-contributors. The service also describes workflows for objections to RPF and requests for re-marks. SPARKPLUS is platform independent: students use a browser without installing software, and the site says it is commonly integrated through LTI. It is paid, with licence pricing available by enquiry. Its privacy policy describes Australian Privacy Principles compliance and says payment details are not stored on its servers.