Peer evaluations within experiential pedagogy: Fairness, objectivity, retaliation safeguarding, constructive feedback, and experiential learning as part of peer assessment

Abstract

This paper describes the analysis of peer assessment processes in experiential learning courses at a Midwestern public university. Factor analysis was used in the creation of constructs measuring perceptions of fairness, objectivity, retaliation safeguarding, and constructive feedback. Constructs were based on student fears that peer assessment is unfair, peers measure based on emotions (objectivity), giving a bad score will hurt me in later courses (retaliation safeguarding), and feedback is not developmental. As well, it was determined whether there was a belief, by end users, that peer assessment is a critical component of experiential learning. The authors surveyed 477 students within semester courses practicing experiential learning pedagogies and developed constructs for fairness (α = 0.785), objectivity (α = 0.774), retaliation safeguarding (α = 0.862), constructive feedback (α = 0.692) and experiential learning (α = 0.743). No within-factor multicollinearity was found in any construct.