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
5
10
15
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35
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45
50
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
10
20
30
40
50
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70
80
90
100
Was the marking scheme easy to understand
Rspo
nses
(%)
n=100
Research findings (3 of 3)
Yes No Not sure0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
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
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