Paradoxical tensions of online peer assessment: A case study of a secondary school in Singapore

Abstract

Despite its potential benefits, factors such as negative perceptions have affected the use of peer assessment in schools. Through applying the concept of ‘paradoxes’, we sought to identify contradictory yet interwoven elements that were inherent in web-mediated peer assessment practices. Applying a phenomenographical approach, we interviewed 6 teachers and 30 students in a secondary school in Singapore, where an online peer assessment tool was used to support students in their English classes. Our findings suggested four main paradoxes: (1) increased student ownership but reduction in teachers’ sense of control over student learning; (2) anonymity of peer comments lowered students’ anxiety but reduced accountability; (3) reviewing multiple peers’ essays increased student feedback but gave rise to more contradictory and nonconstructive comments; and (4) the online peer assessment tool provided a good platform for peer review but overemphasised on the outcomes rather than processes.