Self- and Peer-Assessment

1. Self- and Peer-Assessment • Rationale • Preparation • Tasks • Implementation • Evaluation

2. Rationale – Self-Assessment • How am I doing? Is this enough? Is this right? How can I tell? Should I go further? In the act of questioning is the act of judging ourselves and making decisions about the next step. This is self-assessment’ Boud (1995) – nothing about marking • Life-long learning and employability • Students already do this

3. Self-Assessment Internal, self dialogue ‘………when I’m on the bus on my way to work… I sort of think what variables are there that I need to think about……….so some of my background knowledge on the subject as well goes in……I just build it up over time.’

4. Rationale – Peer-Assessment • ‘An arrangement for peers to consider the level, value, worth, quality or successfulness of the products or outcomes of learning of others of similar status’ Topping et al. (2000). • Students also do this

5. Peer-Assessment ‘In university with peers – ‘If they’re doing the same course as you and they don’t understand a word you’re going on about, then you know you’re totally off course…….They may criticise (you), but somebody else might have a greater understanding (of the subject) and you know that they’ve got a greater understanding and so you know that you’ve got to sort of balance (their view and yours)’

6. Rationale • Students carry out this important learning process • Some do it well – high achieving students and some not so well non-high achieving students • Tutors can develop process in higher achievers and instigate and develop in non-high achievers

7. Preparation for Self- and Peer-Assessment • Students/tutors need to know why they are doing these processes – learning as a social interactive process • Students need to be well briefed in advance – • what they are expected to do • set ground rules • Information should be given in writing and verbally

8. Preparation for Self- and Peer-Assessment • Students need to be familiar with any documentation being used – evaluation forms, check list or feedback forms • Specific self-assessment opportunities (Mok et al., 2006) • K: At the beginning learning, students are asked, ‘What do you know about (this topic)?’ • The self-assessment is on prior knowledge. • W: At the beginning and during learning, students are asked, ‘What do you want to know about (this topic)?’ • The self-assessment is on motivation to learn. • L: At the end of learning, students are asked, ‘What have you learnt about (this topic)?’ • The self-assessment is on outcomes of learning.

9. Preparation for Self- and Peer-Assessment • Think about how criteria and standards will be used • Co-construction/produced • Self-evaluation not criteria-based more intuitive • Clarify any marking process/written comments/discussions • Confidentially • Controlled • What is to be marked

10. Preparation for Self- and Peer-Assessment (tutors) • Make sure tutors have suitable exemplars and developmental task material • Look at task development – Winter (2000) patchwork approach • Reporting/feedback opportunities • Group discussion and questions – useful in practical setting with groups introducing and summarising laboratory work

11. Tasks • Examples in the Self- and Peer-Assessment book • Professional development • Research informed teaching/enquiry based-learning or problem based-learning modules

12. Implementation • Examples in the Self- and Peer-Assessment book of implementation • Self-assessment does not occur in isolation – all learning is social • Judgements are made on what is learnt - publicly • Peer-review good starting point • One activity or a series of meetings • Make sure development over each meeting

13. Implementation • Assessment/evaluation needs to relate to some set of outcomes • Try and have all students giving and receiving feedback – different processes • Written and verbal feedback • Think of process and product • Allow sufficient time for task and between self- and peer-assessment and tutor assessment

14. Implementation (tutor) • Ensure time for peer discussion • Teaching teams should produce material about how to conduct discussions • Scaffold (build up/take down) support • Watch development of learning

15. Evaluation • Allow two way feedback between you and students • Listen to what they value • Inclusive process – do not leave them in a void • Build in student reflection • Use the GOALS process to evaluate self- and peer-assessment

16. GOALS Process • The GOALS process is student focused and considers learning from a student perspective initially in the now: • G = what outcomes do I need to Grasp. These can be self-generated outcomes or tutor outcomes which are translated by the student so that they understand them. • O = how can IOrientate to ‘self’ perhaps through asking questions such as ‘what am I trying to achieve?’

17. GOALS Process • A = what Actions do I need to take to achieve my outcomes. This could be seen in terms of ‘who do I need to speak to’ or ‘how can I most effectively use the tutor provided exemplars’.

18. GOALS Process • The GOALS process also considers learning for the future. • L = what type of Learning evaluation do I need to make. Asking questions such as ‘how have I done?’, ‘how am I different now compared to when I started?’ or ‘What has changed?’ • S = what Strategies do I need to develop in order to successfully move on. Here students need to think about the experience of doing an assignment, perhaps in terms of how they can reduce ‘error’ in their approach.

19. Summary • Self- and peer-assessment: • Allow natural social learning process to develop • Underpin professional, employability and life-long learning development • Can be incorporated into a variety of teaching and learning approaches • Help to inform non-curriculum learning activities.