Staff’s Practice of Peer Assessment in the International Classroom in UK HE

Abstract

Influenced by social constructivism emphasizing students’ responsibility for their own learning, peer assessment has become popular in many UK universities, which facilitates inquiry into learning by the learner through integration of understanding from active engagement in assessment and collaboration with staff and classmates [1]. As increasingly large numbers of international students come to study in the UK, staff have had to face issues of how to provide an appropriate assessment experience for them. Hence, how to inspire students’ performance of peer assessment and make it effective in the international classroom is a challenge for staff. This paper is part of a project studying on international students’ perceptions and experience of peer assessment. In this paper, we particularly discuss practice of peer assessment from staff’s point of view in relation to internationalization of curriculum and pedagogy in UK HE, by employing a case study methodology complemented by observation in the teaching sessions and interviews with staff in a UK university. The research would contribute to a better understanding of peer assessment in the international classroom in UK HE from staff’s perspective, and in turn to an enhancement of pedagogical approaches and assessment innovation.