Peer assessment

Peer assessment is a process of assessment and review during which a student examines, evaluates, and assigns a grade to another student’s writing, completed test, or participation and effort in a group project. It differs from self-assessment, which is when a student evaluates and grades their own work. Peer assessment is used by teachers as both a time-saving device and a pedagogical tool.

Overview

Teachers use peer assessment in their classrooms for many reasons, but primarily it is used as a time-saving device, especially in very large classes. In about the time it would take a teacher to grade one student’s multiple-choice test, for example, an entire class of peer-assessed tests can be graded. Furthermore, when additional time is incorporated into a lesson for students to discuss or ask questions about the material being peer assessed, teachers are often made aware of concepts or points in the lesson where students need additional instruction. This can also ultimately serve as a time-saver in that it saves the teacher from having to go back at a later date to re-teach the material.

Researchers have found that when peer assessment is used to evaluate essays, those being assessed tend to focus more on the feedback they are being given rather than on the final grade or percentage the assignment has earned. In other words, when students are assessed by their peers, they are more prone to think about and understand why a particular answer was wrong or what in their essay needed more work. Peer assessment allows students to learn from their mistakes, and peer assessors also benefit from the process because they are learning and practicing valuable assessment skills.

Researchers and education specialists have expressed that in order for peer assessment to be an effective tool, the classroom must be a supportive environment. Students will be more open to giving and receiving constructive criticism and honest feedback if they already have an expectation of trust. Teachers can help to foster such a setting by starting small-group work and peer interaction early in the year and by keeping the group members together throughout the year. Teachers should also set an example of effective peer assessment by modeling supportive language and providing constructive feedback.

It is important for teachers to determine ahead of time which activities or assignments lend themselves to peer assessment. Objective tests, such as those with multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions, are easily peer assessed. Students will need a teacher’s guidance in the subjective evaluation of essays or creative projects. Regardless of the type of assignment to be peer assessed, students should be provided a rubric or a set of evaluation guidelines beforehand and then given opportunities to practice peer assessment with these tools.

Bibliography

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Wasson, Barbara, and Vibeke Vold. “Leveraging New Media Skills in a Peer Feedback Tool.” Internet and Higher Education 15.4 (2012): 255–64. Print.