Academics’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of self and peer assessment in higher education

Despite compelling evidence of its potential effectiveness, uptake of self and peer assessment in higher education has been slower than expected. As with other assessment practices, self and peer assessment is ultimately enabled, or inhibited, by the actions of individual academics. This paper explores what academics see as the benefits and challenges of implementing self and peer assessment, through the analysis of interviews with 13 Australian academics. Thematic analysis of our qualitative data identified seven themes of benefits and five challenges. Our academics showed strong belief in the power of self and peer assessment as formative assessment, contrary to past literature which has focussed on the accuracy of students’ marking. This paper therefore brings insights as to not only what academics value about self and peer assessment but also identifies potential inhibitors in practice. Recommendations are made about improving the design and implementation of self and peer assessment in higher education.     

Assessing the reliability of self‐ and peer rating in student group work

Peer and self‐ratings have been strongly recommended as the means to adjust individual contributions to group work. To evaluate the quality of student ratings, previous research has primarily explored the validity of these ratings, as indicated by the degree of agreement between student and teacher ratings. This research describes a Generalizability Theory framework to evaluate the reliability of student ratings in terms of the degree of consistency among students themselves, as well as group and rater effects. Ratings from two group projects are analyzed to illustrate how this method can be applied. The reliability of student ratings differs for the two group projects considered in this research. While a strong group effect is present in both projects, the rater effect is different. Implications of this research for classroom assessment practice are discussed.     

Student‐teachers’ conceptions of science,teaching and learning: a case study in preservice science education

The resort to experiment is considered to be essential for teaching physics. But it often consists of an inductivist method where students are supposed to be able to find physical laws by observing phenomena. In fact it is not as easy for the students as it is for the physicist. We propose and test another way. When studying a new phenomenon, an initial discussion is performed between students in the class. They can propose various (eventually contradictory) explanatory models. Experiments are then used to make a choice between these models. Sequences in class situation are described, with learning behaviour and results reported for pupils in French schools (grades 6 and 8, 11‐14‐year olds).     

The validity and students’ experiences of peer assessment in a large introductory class of gene technology

Although studies have examined the validity of peer assessment, research including students’ own experiences of peer assessment is scarce. The present study aims to improve assessment practices in a context with a highly traditional assessment culture. The aim is first to examine the validity of peer assessment by analysing the compatibility of student and teacher evaluation and explore the differences between minor and major students’ evaluations. Second, the study examines students’ experiences of peer assessment. Peer assessment was implemented in a large bioscience course with 79 student participants. After the peer assessment, the students provided feedback. The results indicate that student subject understanding can be supported through a proper assessment practice. Peer assessment was successful in an introductory class with minor and major students, and most students experienced it as supportive of their learning.     

Peer and self‐assessment in the first year of university

This paper reviews the literature about peer and self‐assessment in university courses from the point of view of their use, and the suitability of their use, in the first year of university study. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part argues that although first‐year students are involved in many of the studies that report on the use of peer and self‐assessment in higher education, the proportion of these studies that do so is somewhat less than in other year levels. In addition, relatively little of this work directly and explicitly discusses the suitability of peer and self‐assessment for students and courses at this year level. The second part of the paper provides an introductory exploration of the relationship between peer and self‐assessment, and specific features of first‐year assessment, learning and teaching. Three issues relating directly to the suitability of peer and self‐assessment in the first year are explored. In the third part, the paper briefly discusses the desirability of implementing peer and self‐assessment, in general, before seeking to extend this specifically to the first year. The paper concludes by recommending that greater use can and should be made of peer and self‐assessment in the first year of university study.     

Exploring students’ emotional responses and participation in an online peer assessment activity: a case study

The STACI^N Project is a development, implementation, and research effort that examines the impact of systems thinking, simulation, and modeling in precollege curricula on student learning, classroom processes, and organizational change. Nearly 100 teachers have been trained to use systems thinking in their secondary school curricula. This article examines how systems thinking affects teachers and classroom processes. A two‐dimensional matrix is presented to characterize the modes of adaptation employed by the teachers as they use modeling and simulation in their courses. The dimensions include teacher proficiency with technology and the specific systems applications observed in classes. A discussion of issues related to the use of systems in precollege instruction also is included.     

Gender differences in motivation and strategy use in science: Are girls rote learners?

This study explored Ridley and Novak's (1983) hypothesis that gender differences in science achievement are due to differences in rote and meaningful learning modes. To test this hypothesis, we examined gender differences in fifth- and sixth-grade students' (N = 213) self-reports of confidence, motivation goals (task mastery, ego, and work avoidance), and learning strategies (active and superficial) in whole-class and small-group science lessons. Overall, the results revealed few gender differences. Compared with girls, boys reported greater confidence in their science abilities. Average-achieving girls reported greater use of meaningful learning strategies than did their male counterparts, whereas low-ability boys reported a stronger mastery orientation than did low-ability girls. The results further showed that students report greater confidence and mastery motivation in small-group than whole-class lessons. In contrast, students reported greater work avoidance in whole-class than small-group lessons. In general, the findings provide little support for Ridley and Novak's hypothesis that girls tend to engage in rote-level learning in science classes. Differences in self-reports of motivation and strategy-use patterns were more strongly related to the student's ability level and to the structure of learning activities (small group vs. whole class) than to gender. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Teacher reflections on ‘bumpy moments’ in teaching: a self‐study

This study recounts a practicing teacher's attempt to describe reflections during the course of teaching at the primary level. A self‐study was conducted to address teacher thinking during ‘bumpy moments’ in teaching, offering an insight into how we might capture the details of teachers' unseen reflections. Through an analysis of the many ‘bumpy moments’ in teaching, several important findings emerged about the nature of reflection and how reflection actually occurs in the classroom context. Results of this study have implications for future research, teacher education and improvement of the teaching practice.     

Students’ behaviour in peer assessment: a multi-criteria clustering approach

Peer assessment (PA), as formative procedure, enhances learning by providing students with the opportunity to peer assess each other's work. However, since students exhibit different value systems (abilities, experiences, attitudes, cognitive styles, etc.) we propose a diagnostic procedure, which can be applied at the beginning of a course, in order to infer the most prevailing attitude among students. For this purpose, the proposed methodological framework, based on a multi-criteria clustering approach, identifies different assessment behaviours, in order to adopt the most common student assessment policy. To demonstrate the proposed method, an example is presented where two different PA data-sets are examined. The results clearly indicate that students exhibit different PA policies, nevertheless, a densely populated group is formed, the value system of which can be adopted thereafter.     

Correction to: Exploring students’ science motivation across grade levels and the role of inductive reasoning in science motivation

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The purpose of this study is to explore students’ motivation towards science learning at different grade levels and to investigate whether...     

Rubric‐referenced self‐assessment and middle school students’ writing

This study investigated the relationship between middle school students’ scores for a written assignment (N = 162) and a process that involved students in generating criteria and self‐assessing with a rubric. Gender, time spent writing, grade level, prior rubric use, and previous achievement in English were also examined. The treatment involved using a model essay to scaffold the process of generating a list of criteria for an effective essay, reviewing a written rubric, and using the rubric to self‐assess first drafts. The comparison condition involved generating a list of criteria and reviewing first drafts. Findings include a main effect of treatment, gender, grade level, writing time, and previous achievement on total essay scores, as well as main effects on scores for every criterion on the scoring rubric. The results suggested that reading a model, generating criteria, and using a rubric to self‐assess can help middle school students produce more effective writing.     

Students’ reception of peer assessment of group-work contributions: problematics in terms of race and gender emerging from a South African case study

Participatory assessment is increasingly employed in higher education worldwide as a formative mechanism to support students’ active learning. But do students in an increasingly relationally diverse environment perceive that peer assessment of individuals’ contributions to group-work tasks enhances their learning? Recognising the impact of students’ conceptions on the quality of their learning, this study considers students’ perspectives of peer assessment of group-work contributions at a South African university. Questionnaires elicited students’ perspectives of and general attitudes towards assessment of and by their peers. A growing measure of discontent with the process of assessing peer contributions to group tasks emerged, including actual and perceived racial and gender stereotyping, and related rejection-sensitivity. These initial findings were checked against the students’ experiences in a report-and-respond process that enabled probing discussions of the interpretations. This paper examines and explores the implications of such identifications and receptions for learning engagement and group-work curriculum development in the context of a rapidly transforming higher education sector.     

Adult learners and professional development: peer‐to‐peer learning in a networked community

This paper analyses how adult learners on a professional development course learn and develop through online dialogue. The research uses Wenger’s community of practice framework, and assesses whether the concept of ‘legitimate peripheral participation’ is useful in relation to this specific case study in which the students are practitioners and parents of individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). The study focuses on peer‐to‐peer learning and analyses a sample of asynchronous online discussions from three separate online tutorial groups. The first part of the study combines quantitative analysis of distribution patterns, with qualitative discourse analysis that measures central concepts associated with communities of practice. The second part of the study addresses whether the concept of ‘legitimate peripheral participation’ is useful in this context. The contribution of one key individual in each group is analysed in order to provide a narrative about how that person communicates with the others, shares values and repertoires with them and gradually becomes a central member of the community. The data supports the notion that these forms of interaction and approaches to learning can favour the construction of knowledge and help to develop reflective skills and a sense of ‘togetherness’ in the group through sharing stories with one another, developing identity through the discussions and through this enabling the development of community. The findings indicate that the learners are provided with opportunities to consider the strengths and weaknesses of ideas from multiple perspectives and that key students play a role in enabling other students to move from a position of legitimate peripheral participation to becoming full members of the community.     

Academic failure of first-year engineering and technological students in India and assessment of motivation factors – a case study

This study has been conducted to show that there is a recent trend in engineering colleges in India that students who are considered to be highly intelligent show poor academic performance during their 1st year. This article is proposed to examine the role of motivation factors such as teaching methods and learning material in the academic performance of engineering and technological students in India. A test was carried out among engineering students. A total of 200 male and female students participated in this test. A 2-group discriminator analysis was done to analyse the data. The results showed that there was a significant correlation (p = 0.000) between motivation factors and academic performance of engineering students. The higher the rating of these factors by the students, the higher their performance.     

Skill and will: test‐taking motivation and assessment quality

An achievement test score can be viewed as a joint function of skill and will, of knowledge and motivation. However, when interpreting and using test scores, the ‘will’ part is not always acknowledged and scores are mostly interpreted and used as pure measures of student knowledge. This paper argues that students’ motivation to do their best on the assessment – their test‐taking motivation – is important to consider from an assessment validity perspective. This is true not least in assessment contexts where the assessment outcome has no consequences for the test‐taker. The paper further argues that the quality of assessment of test‐taking motivation also needs attention. Theoretical and methodological issues related to the assessment of test‐taking motivation are presented from a validity perspective, and findings from empirical studies on the relation between test stakes, test‐taking motivation and test performance are presented.     

The self‐assessed portfolio: a case study

This paper reports on a successful attempt to use the portfolio as a sole assessment tool for an upper level language arts course at an English‐medium university in Lebanon. Over four consecutive years in the spring semester, the teacher/researcher devised a special syllabus based on the teaching/learning of text discourses and other language tasks emphasizing skills to improve the English language of the learners. Only students’ portfolios were used to evaluate students’ work. The learners, majoring in Education or English, worked on various language tasks. They presented and assessed their work according to rubrics. Learners had to self‐reflect on each task, have a one‐to‐one conference with the class teacher, and assign a letter grade to their work. Results indicated that though using only portfolios for assessment purposes was a rather difficult task, it was still more effective than traditional assessment. Working on self‐assessed portfolios actively engaged learners in the learning process.     

Vets and videos: student learning from context‐based assessment in a pre‐clinical science course

To increase the perceived relevance of pre‐clinical science courses to undergraduates, a context‐based assessment item was introduced to a genetics course that occurs early within a five‐year veterinary science programme. The aim was to make a direct link between genetic concepts and the future clinical profession of the students. In the assessment task, students used problem‐solving skills to deduce relationships between genetic variants and nose and coat colour in dogs and to determine breeding strategies to obtain a specified colour combination. The assignment was contextualised by students presenting their results as a role‐play video of a veterinarian/client consultation. The students responded enthusiastically, finding relevance and enjoyment in the task. Together with the higher cognitive skills required, contextualisation is likely to be responsible for the deeper style of learning that was adopted by the majority of students. Hence, making explicit links between pre‐clinical content and its use in a workplace setting can lead to improved learning outcomes     

The role of stereotype threat in ethnically minoritized students’ science motivation: A four-year longitudinal study of achievement and persistence in STEM

Grounded in expectancy-value and stereotype threat theories, this four-year longitudinal study examined associations between changes in stereotype threat and motivation (self-efficacy, task values, and perceived costs) among 425 undergraduates from racial/ethnic groups typically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Growth analyses indicated that students’ stereotype threat and perceived cost of studying science increased during college, whereas science self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and attainment value declined. Parallel growth analyses suggested that higher initial stereotype threat related to a faster decline in attainment value and faster increase in perceived costs throughout college. Higher initial levels and a steeper increase in stereotype threat related to lower STEM GPA. Higher initial levels and a slower decline in motivation variables related to higher STEM GPA and more completed STEM courses. These findings provide empirical evidence for the relations between stereotype threat and motivation among underrepresented minority students during a key developmental period.     

Academic and Managerial Skills of Academic Deans: A self‐assessment perspective

Brazilian higher education institutions face a complex and challenging environment as the national market in education is becoming more competitive. International investment, a decrease in the population of potential students, and the proliferation of innumerable small institutions add to this complexity. Organizations are becoming flatter and the key managers within them are deans. Although deans are required to act as managerial experts, they are usually selected from the teaching body of the institution. In this paper, a group of deans from a large private institution gave their self‐assessment of their academic and managerial skills. The results revealed that they tend to have a high perception of their managerial skills, even though they have no previous managerial experience or formal training. This underlines that senior academic administrators cannot simply assume that deans, by the nature of their work environment, are proficient in managerial skills; neither that they can easily identify inadequacies nor have them self‐corrected. To accomplish the necessary institutional changes to face the complexities of the current globalized education market, a new assessment culture has to be implemented in the academic environment.