Collaborative assessment as a learning tool for social work students

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite the body of evidence demonstrating learning gains in both knowledge and engagement for higher education students, social work educators appear to have been slow to incorporate collaborative assessment in undergraduate and graduate courses. This is disappointing given collaboration is an important practice skill and is a common graduate attribute required by accreditation bodies. In this exploratory study, the learning gains and experiences of a group of Bachelor and Masters level Social Work students are explored. In addition, the experiences and opinions of the academic staff involved in administering the assessment are analyzed to inform design and implementation considerations. Results show that, on average, students improved their results on the assessment by around 9% when completed collaboratively. Both staff and student participants saw collaborative assessment as an effective and engaging learning strategy. Positive results are seen not only in grade performance but also in classroom dynamics with students practicing some core social work skills, including clear articulation of ideas, effective listening, negotiation, and managing conflict.