Peer Assessment Approach Research Articles

Effects of integrating mobile technology-assisted peer assessment into flipped learning on students’ dance skills and self-efficacy

ABSTRACTDance courses aim to not only intensify learners’ dance skills, but also cultivate their personal dancing features, self-confidence, self-reflection ability, creative power, appreciation ability, to name just a few, in order to attain much higher level artistic performance. In the present study, an approach which integrates mobile peer assessment into flipped learning is proposed. Moreover, a 9-week experiment was conducted to explore the effects of the approach on students’ dance skills, self-efficacy, and learning satisfaction. The results indicated that the students learning with the integrated mobile peer assessment and flipped learning approach had better dance skills than those learning with the conventional flipped learning approach and traditional instruction. In terms of self-efficacy, the students learning with the conventional flipped learning approach outperformed those learning with the proposed approach and traditional instruction. In terms of learning satisfaction, the conventional flipped learning approach outperformed the traditional instruction. Discussion and suggestions are provided accordingly. It is suggested that teachers who want to incorporate flipped learning into dance courses may decide whether to combine peer assessment according to the teaching objectives.

Integrated Self‐Study Medical Histology Modules: Innovative Approach

For the past seven years, at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB), increased emphasis is being placed to implement integrated medical curricula, especially those focusing on students' critical thinking and active participation in a clinically relevant approach. Consequently, the teaching of anatomical sciences, in particular Histology, suffered from a reduction in the teaching hours. In this regard, innovative strategies for teaching and assessment were encouraged to assure reaching the acquired competencies.Along this line, a histology module for each organ‐system was developed and interactive strategies were designed to promote student‐centered and active learning, teamwork and peer teaching as well as self and peer assessment. Students displayed considerable initiative in exploring the histological features of tissues, identifying the changes in various pathological states and recognizing the relationship to clinical manifestations. Such a well‐structured approach, with students working in small groups, enhanced active participation, critical thinking, and self‐directed learning in a clinical context. Different types of formative assessments were adopted in order to meet the expectations and challenges associated with acquiring the set of competencies in the integrated curricular. The study modules were designed for students to use modern and interactive technology for self and peer assessment. This peer teaching and peer assessment approach helped students identify areas of weakness and deficiencies, thus allowing for timely interventions to adjust and compensate for lacunes and provided a positive environment and a stimulus for improvement.In this era of periodic revisions of the medical curricula, assessment in a timely manner is getting a considerable importance in orienting such revisions. It is a key feature and a fundamental component to monitor and evaluate, at various levels, the rate of success as well as the direction of amendments to make. In this respect, this renewed approach to self and peer assessment is considered effective in enhancing life‐long learning skills and attitudes. It also can minimize the potential adverse impact of decreasing teaching hours in anatomical sciences, while ensuring that learning remains both meaningful and interesting. However, it takes more efforts from teachers and students.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

A framework for designing, implementing, communicating and researching peer assessment

ABSTRACTThe term ‘peer assessment’ may apply to a range of student activities. This imprecision may impact on the uptake of peer assessment pedagogies. To better describe peer assessment approaches, typologies of peer assessment diversity were previously derived from the education literature. However, these typologies have not yet been tested with ‘real-life’ peer assessment examples, nor do they consider broader contextual matters. We present an augmented peer assessment framework, refined through analysing faculty accounts of their peer assessment practices. Our framework subsumes previous attempts to classify peer assessment, and extends them to include technology use, resources and policy, which were new features of our data not present in previous frameworks. In the current higher education climate, these considerations may be crucial for the scalability and success of peer assessment. The framework proposed in this paper provides both precision and concision for researchers and educators in studying and implementing peer assessment.

A peer assessment approach to project based blended learning course in a Vietnamese higher education

This article presents a model using peer assessment to evaluate students taking part in blended - learning courses (BL). In these courses, teaching activities are carried out in the form of traditional face-to-face (F2F) and learning activities are performed online via the learning management system Moodle. In the model, the topics of courses are built as a set of projects and case studies for the attending students divided into groups. The result of the implementation of projects is evaluated and ranked by all course participants and is one of the course evaluation criteria for lecturers. To assess learners more precisely, we propose a multi-phase assessment model in evaluating all groups and the group members. The result of each student in the group based on himself evaluation, evaluations of the team members, the tearcher and all students in the course. There are 107 students, who participated in the course entitled “web application development”, are divided into 20 groups conducting the course in the field of information technology is deployed in the form of blended learning through peer assessment. The results of student’s feedback suggested that the usage of various peer assessment created positive learning effectiveness and more interesting learning attitude for students. The survey was conducted with the students through the questionnaire, each question with scale 5-point Likert scale that ranged from 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very statisfied) to investigate the factors: Collaboration, Assessment, Technology showed that students were satisfied with our approach.

Argumentation Skills: A Peer Assessment Approach to Discussions in the EFL Classroom

<p>This paper presents an exploratory action research study carried out by two English as a foreign language teachers in a private, non-profit institution in Bogota, Colombia, with a group of 12 learners in a B1 English course. These students faced difficulties elaborating on their ideas when discussing issues in class. The study placed emphasis on the use of argumentation outlines and peer assessment to boost learners’ argumentative abilities. Audio-taped conversations and open-ended interviews were used to understand the impact on the pedagogical intervention. Findings revealed that argumentation outlines and peer assessment can promote learners’ awareness and ability to engage in argumentation processes. Moreover, peer assessment appears to be an essential tool for enhancing personal and collaborative learning, as well as for promoting learner reflection and agency.</p>

A Simulated peer-assessment approach to improve students’ performance in numerical problem-solving questions in high school biology

Basic mathematical fluency is a prerequisite for success in a wide array of areas in biology and it has been noted that many students are deficient in this skill. In this paper, the use of a simulated peer-assessment activity is investigated as a method to improve performance in numerical problem-solving questions in high school biology. Additionally, the benefits of using simulated, rather than real, student’s answers in peer-assessment is discussed. The study involved a small cohort of students who carried out a simulated peer-assessment as a classroom activity and their improvement in performance and attitude towards the activity was measured. The results demonstrate that a simulated peer-assessment activity is suitable as a replacement for standard peer-assessment and that students’ attitudes favour the simulated approach.

An interactive peer-assessment criteria development approach to improving students' art design performance using handheld devices

Engaging students in higher order thinking such as evaluation and analysis has been recognized as being an important strategy for helping them develop knowledge and skills, in particular, in creativeness-oriented learning activities such as artwork design. In this paper, an interactive peer-assessment criteria development approach is proposed to help students develop assessment criteria, learn from viewing peers' work, and make reflections in artwork design activities using mobile devices. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted in an elementary school art course. A total of 103 students participating in the experiment were assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The students in the experimental group learned with the proposed approach, while those in the control group learned with the conventional peer assessment approach. From the experimental results, it was found that the proposed approach significantly improved the students' learning achievement, learning motivation and meta-cognitive awareness, suggesting the effectiveness of engaging students in assessment criteria development in an interactive manner.

A web‐based peer‐assessment approach to improving junior high school students' performance, self‐efficacy and motivation in performing arts courses

AbstractIn this paper, a web‐based peer‐assessment approach is proposed for conducting performing arts activities. A peer‐assessment system was implemented and applied to a junior high school performing arts course to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. A total of 163 junior high students were assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The students in the experimental group learned with the web‐based peer‐assessment approach, whereas those in the control group learned with a web‐based streaming video‐supported environment. The experimental results showed that, in comparison with the web‐based streaming video‐supported learning approach, the web‐based peer assessment approach could significantly improve the students' performance, self‐efficacy and motivation in the performing arts course. In the meantime, it was found that the peer assessment ratings were highly correlated with the teachers' ratings in every performance item; moreover, the performance ratings were highly related to the students' self‐efficacy in evaluating peers' work and improving their own work based on peers' comments as well as their intrinsic motivation, showing the effectiveness of the performance scoring rubrics and the peer assessment approach. The satisfaction questionnaire results also revealed that the students who learned with the peer assessment approach were significantly more satisfied with the learning activity than those who learned with the web‐based learning approach.

A peer assessment approach for learning from public health emergencies.

As an alternative to standard quality improvement approaches and to commonly used after action report/improvement plans, we developed and tested a peer assessment approach for learning from singular public health emergencies. In this approach, health departments engage peers to analyze critical incidents, with the goal of aiding organizational learning within and across public health emergency preparedness systems. We systematically reviewed the literature in this area, formed a practitioner advisory panel to help translate these methods into a protocol, applied it retrospectively to case studies, and later field-tested the protocol in two locations. These field tests and the views of the health professionals who participated in them suggest that this peer-assessment approach is feasible and leads to a more in-depth analysis than standard methods. Engaging people involved in operating emergency health systems capitalizes on their professional expertise and provides an opportunity to identify transferable best practices.

An innovative peer assessment approach to enhance guideline adherence in physical therapy: single-masked, cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are not readily implemented in clinical practice. One of the impeding factors is that physical therapists do not hold realistic perceptions of their adherence to CPGs. Peer assessment (PA) is an implementation strategy that aims at improving guideline adherence by enhancing reflective practice, awareness of professional performance, and attainment of personal goals. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of PA with the usual case discussion (CD) strategy on adherence to CPGs for physical therapist management of upper extremity complaints. A single-masked, cluster-randomized controlled trial with pretest-posttest design was conducted. Twenty communities of practice (n=149 physical therapists) were randomly assigned to groups receiving PA or CD, with both interventions consisting of 4 sessions over 6 months. Both PA and CD groups worked on identical clinical cases relevant to the guidelines. Peer assessment focused on individual performance observed and evaluated by peers; CD focused on discussion. Guideline adherence was measured with clinical vignettes, reflective practice was measured with the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS), awareness of performance was measured via the correlation between perceived and assessed improvement, and attainment of personal goals was measured with written commitments to change. The PA groups improved more on guideline adherence compared with the CD groups (effect=22.52; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]=2.38, 42.66; P=.03). The SRIS scores did not differ between PA and CD groups. Awareness of performance was greater for the PA groups (r=.36) than for the CD groups (r=.08) (effect=14.73; 95% CI=2.78, 26.68; P=.01). The PA strategy was more effective than the CD strategy in attaining personal goals (effect=0.50; 95% CI=0.04, 0.96; P=.03). Limited validity of clinical vignettes as a proxy measure of clinical practice was a limitation of the study. Peer assessment was more effective than CD in improving adherence to CPGs. Personal feedback may have contributed to its effectiveness. Future research should address the role of the group coach.

A simulated peer-assessment approach to improving student performance in chemical calculations

This paper describes the utility of using simulated, rather than real, student solutions to problems within a peer-assessment setting and whether this approach can be used as a means of improving performance in chemical calculations. The study involved a small cohort of students, of two levels, who carried out a simulated peer-assessment as a classroom activity and their improvement in performance and attitude towards the activity was measured. The results demonstrate that a simulated peer-assessment approach can be successfully used in lieu of standard peer-assessment and that student attitudes favour the simulated approach.

Face-to-Face Peer Assessment in Secondary Education: Does Anonymity Matter?

Pupils involved in peer assessment often state that they do not feel entirely comfortable with publicly evaluating their peers. It is found that peer-pressure might cause stress and a lack of accuracy of the assessment (Falchikov, 2003). Based on social impact theories (e.g. Latané, 1981), anonymity within peer assessment can be considered as a solution. Yet, although the benefits of anonymity are previously investigated in the context of classroom voting and debating in higher education (Ainsworth et al., 2011), no research is found regarding anonymity in the context of peer assessment in a face-to-face secondary education setting. To fill this gap, the present study was set up to investigate whether anonymity of the assessors in peer assessment can counter undesirable social effects. It was hypothesized that anonymous modes of peer assessment will induce a reduced perception of peer pressure, a reduced fear of failure, and more positive attitudes towards peer assessment. Classroom response technology (CRT) was introduced as a tool that enables anonymity within face-to-face settings (Kay & Knaack, 2009). A quasi-experimental study was set up in four secondary classes in Belgium (n=69). In all classes, pupils had to assess each others’ group presentations on different criteria in a face-to-face classroom setting. In the control group (2 classes) a traditional peer assessment approach was used, i.e. raising score cards-, while in the experimental group (2 classes) CRT was used to give scores anonymously. In the latter, score distributions were presented on a screen in front of the class. Feelings of peer-pressure, fear of failure towards the other, and pupils’ general attitudes towards peer assessment were measured using a post-questionnaire. It was found that the pupils who used CRT as a tool to give scores anonymously, felt less peer pressure and fear of failure than those in the classic peer assessment condition. They also reported more positive attitudes towards this kind of evaluation. Implications of these results are discussed.

Peer Learning and Peer Assessment to Enhance Participation in Online Courses

The essay discusses the development of a peer assessment approach in an online learning community composed of teachers enrolled in a course on Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). The experience was prompted by the need to promote meaningful learning and online interaction among teachers, then collaborative assessment activities proved to be an efficient strategy to foster engagement.

Aligning assessment with the curriculum: identifying faculty’s innovative methods

Our College of Medicine implemented a new curriculum in 2006 following the release in 2001 of the National Curricula Guidelines from the Ministry of Education of Brazil. These guidelines establish a core of comprehensive competences, such as those involved in patient care, health care management, communication, decision-making and leadership skills, and recommend the use of student-centred methods, integration of content and learning activities, as well as early clinical experiences and increased community-based services. Although the new curriculum had been implemented in our institution, student assessment was still managed by departments and was not aligned with the new integrated curriculum. In addition, new assessment strategies and procedures had to be developed to test students’ achievements related to educational objectives, such as clinical and communication skills, clinical reasoning, decision-making skills and professionalism. In order to meet the objective of reorganising the student assessment system so that it could be aligned with the new curriculum, we surveyed faculty members with the aim of identifying: (i) the current state of the art in student assessment, and (ii) individual faculty members who might already be using assessment methods suitable to the new curriculum. We designed a descriptive cross-sectional survey study and prepared a questionnaire to identify both the traditional assessment methods in use and those that might be regarded as already aligned with the knowledge, skills and attitudes pertaining to the new curriculum. The questionnaire was piloted and revised, and then administered as an attachment to the faculty listserv. We also individually e-mailed faculty members with clarifying information. We received 39 out of 125 possible responses to the questionnaire and e-mail inquiry. This enabled us to identify a group of eight of the 39 faculty members who appeared to already be using innovative assessment methods spontaneously. They reported the use of portfolios, role-play activities, student self-assessment, 360-degree evaluation, formative assessment, cognitive tests integrating basic and clinical science, direct observation of student activities and behaviour with checklists, and peer assessment approaches. These faculty members were therefore regarded as ‘found pilots’ who could act as agents of change to assist in aligning the assessment system with the new curriculum. Focusing on and investing further in this group is assumed to be an attractive and effective strategy for the dissemination and systematisation of innovative assessment methods throughout the faculty. This might therefore allow the successful aligning of assessment strategies with the new curriculum objectives and have a positive impact on the institution’s educational activities.

The use of self- and peer-contribution assessments within a final year pharmaceutics assignment

This paper describes the experience of introducing student assessment of contribution to a final year pharmaceutics formulation group assignment, using a combined self- and peer-assessment approach. The Contribution Weighting Factors (CWFs) calculated from the student assessments were very tightly distributed, and the resulting adjustment to the overall individual mark received by the majority of the students was small. Very similar contributing factors would have also been obtained if only student peer-assessment had been utilised.

Evaluation of a Peer Assessment Approach for Enhancing the Organizational Capacity of State Injury Prevention Programs

To conduct a formative and pilot impact evaluation of the State Technical Assessment Team (STAT) program, a visitation-based (visitatie) peer assessment program designed to enhance the organizational capacity of state health department injury prevention programs. The formative evaluation was based on observational, record review, and key informant interview data collected during the implementation of the first 7 STAT visits. Pilot impact data were derived from semi-structured interviews with state injury prevention personnel one year after the visit. Formative evaluation identified 6 significant implementation problems in the first visits that were addressed by the program planners, resulting in improvements to the STAT assessment protocol. Impact evaluation revealed that after one year, the 7 state injury prevention programs had acted on 81% of the recommendations received during their STAT visits. All programs reported gains in visibility and credibility within the state health department and increased collaboration and cooperation with other units and agencies. Other significant program advancements were also reported. Specific program standards and review procedures are important to the success of peer assessment programs such as STAT. Early impact evaluation suggests that peer assessment protocols using the visitatie model can lead to gains in organizational capacity.

Some Refinements on Peer Assessment of Group Projects

As the demand for group projects in higher education has increased in recent years, it is necessary to device an assessment method that results in fair grading of project group members. An attempt has been made to apply an existing peer assessment approach from Goldfinch to engineering student group projects. The results confirm the validity of the approach. However, the existing approach has a number of problems owing to the inevitable bias introduced by individual students during the peer assessment process. A new normalisation process is introduced to iron out the inherent shortcomings of the existing peer assessment method. The experience gained so far has led us to believe that this peer assessment method with normalisation can be used as a tool to assess individual marks of a group project.