Facilitating peer and self-assessment

Paul Chin University of Hull

Overview of session

• Benefits and possible drawbacks of peer assessment

• Background to use of peer assessment at Hull

• Demonstration of WebPA

• Research on student use of peer and self assessment

• Top tips for using WebPA

Pros and cons of peer assessment

Pros Cons

Constraints of peer assessment

• Administration can be time consuming

• Difficult with large groups

• Encourages ‘freeloaders’

• Individual achievement dependent on others

• Difficult to manage conflict

• Staff think it is too difficult to implement

Benefits of peer assessment

• Enhanced learning

• Improved self reflection

• Social

• Better self confidence

• Develops critical thinking skills (and other transferable skills)

• Support mechanism for students

Peer assessment at Hull

• Always interested in promoting group work and peer assessment

• Started with paper based PA forms for c.60 students

• Increasing student numbers made admin difficult

• Use technology to solve problems

• Worked with Loughborough to develop WebPA (open source version)

Peer assessment model

• Model produced by Goldfinch and Raeside 1990

• Latest version based on Li 2001

• Similar model for WebPA developed by Peter Willmott at Loughborough

• Students produce group product

• Students assess each other’s contribution to project

• Marks moderated based on level of marks awarded

Peer assessment scheme

• IWF = personal score / average

• Final mark = IWF*group mark

• Balances for uneven scoring:

– Bias factor: scoring of others/average rating– Normalisation factor: 1/bias factor

• Joe scores 47 and average score is 48 (project is 70%)

• 47/48*70= 68.5%

Research findings (1 of 3)

Very negative Negative Neutral Positive Very positive 0

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Student feelings about peer assessment

Pre engagement

Post engagement

How positive do you feel about peer assessment

Resp

onse

(%)

Pre survey n=180Post survey n=100

Research findings (2 of 3)

Yes No Not sure0

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100

Was the marking scheme easy to understand

Rspo

nses

(%)

n=100

Research findings (3 of 3)

Yes No Not sure0

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80

90

Was the marking scheme fair

Resp

onse

s (%

)

n=100

Research findings – Questions?

• Are there any disciplinary differences?

• Gender/age/cultural differences?

• ...

• What questions would you ask?

Audience use of peer assessment

• Does anyone use peer assessment in their teaching?

• What do you do?

• How many students?

• Top tips for making peer assessment work...

Top tips for successful peer assessment

• Have clear goal in mind

• Negotiate/explain assessment criteria at the start(engage students in process)

• Have introductory session

• Set ground rules

• Provide feedback on performance