Peer Assessment Using Student Co-Designed Rubrics
- 1 School of Social Work and Arts, Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, Australia
- 2 School of Social Work and Arts, Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, Australia
Abstract
This pilot study explores peer assessment using student co-designed rubrics as a strategy that might enhance the clarity of assessment tasks for students and lead to their greater engagement with assessment. The strategy was implemented twice. Student responses, collected in a focus group, suggested the first implementation was not as successful as we had hoped, and the second was designed with alterations intended to improve the experience for students, which included collecting students’ responses online. The research is qualitative, and narrative-based rather than data-focused. The student cohorts are too small, and too different in size, to make generalisations possible. Nevertheless, the two iterations of the experiment yielded interesting contrasts and suggestions for future practice. Many academics might be interested in peer assessment but unsure about its effectiveness or how best to implement it. This research indicates ways that it may be used to enhance students’ experience of assessment .
- Bacchus, R., Colvin, E., Knight, E., & Ritter, L. (2020). When Rubrics Aren’t Enough: Exploring Exemplars, Student Rubric Construction, and Peer Assessment as Ways of Enhancing Student Engagement with Assessment Tasks in Higher Education. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 17, 48-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/15505170.2019.1627617
- Bell, A., Mladenovic, R., & Price, M. (2013). Students’ Perceptions of the Usefulness of Marking Guides, Grade Descriptors and Annotated Exemplars. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38, 769-788. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2012.714738
- Bloxham, S., & West, A. (2004). Understanding the Rules of the Game: Marking Peer Assessment as a Medium for Developing Students’ Conceptions of Assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 29, 721-733. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293042000227254
- Boud, D. (2000). Sustainable Assessment: Rethinking Assessment for the Learning Society. Studies in Continuing Education, 22, 151-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/713695728
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Teaching Thematic Analysis: Overcoming Challenges and Developing Strategies for Effective Learning. Psychologist, 26, 120-123.
- Brew, A. (1999). Towards Autonomous Assessment: Using Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment. In S. Brown, & A. Glasner (Eds.), Assessment Matters in Higher Education (pp. 159-171). Open University Press.
- Brindley, C., & Scoffield, S. (1998). Peer Assessment in Undergraduate Programmes. Teaching in Higher Education, 3, 79-90. https://doi.org/10.1080/1356215980030106
- Cheng, W., & Warren, M. (1997). Having Second Thoughts: Student Perceptions before and after a Peer Assessment Exercise. Studies in Higher Education, 22, 233-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079712331381064
- Colvin, E., Bacchus, R., Knight, E., & Ritter, L. (2016). Exploring the Way Students Use Rubrics in the Context of Criterion Referenced Assessment. In The 39th HERDSA Annual International Conference. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Inc.
- Falchikov, N. (1995). Peer Feedback Marking: Developing Peer Assessment. Innovations in Education & Training International, 32, 175-187. https://doi.org/10.1080/1355800950320212
- Falchikov, N., & Goldfinch, J. (2000). Student Peer assessment in Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Peer and Teacher Marks. Review of Educational Research, 70, 287-322. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543070003287