Using Social Media for Peer Assessment in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

The modern affordances of technology and social media networks' popularity enable unique educational opportunities. In this systematic review, our objective was to outline insights regarding the current use of social media for peer assessment in higher education. Specifically, what does the current research indicate are common characteristics, benefits, and challenges, and how can they guide future research and practice? We searched the OMNI information consortium consisting of 392 databases to gain insights. From 2,450 identified articles, we included 12 consisting of 702 participants in our review. The included articles are empirical and peer-reviewed, focusing on higher education and retrieved through the OMNI information consortium. The results were synthesized through a three-step integrated approach to afford the qualitative assimilation of our findings. Facebook and YouTube were the most commonly used platforms, while educational studies used social media for peer assessment most often. The articles referenced in our review primarily used mixed methods approaches and were of medium quality. We found benefits associated with attaining learning objectives while fostering the co-creation of knowledge, self-awareness, and motivation. In contrast, educators may encounter challenges with implementing peer assessment through social media related to technology issues and student behaviours. We outline further insights into our findings and practical recommendations in our discussion.