Roy Andersson from the Faculty of Engineering, Lund University held a one hour lunch workshop 12th of March for faculty members at UNIS on student peer assessment. Here Roy gave the participants a concrete experience in how they in a controlled way could perform student peer review of written exam moments.
Step by step student peer assessment:
1) First the students solve a diagnostic test individually
2) Then the students in pairs grade two other students’ tests. To their help they are given a solution example and correcting instructions
3) Each student receive their own graded test back and can directly be informed about the grading
4) Students not happy with the grading gets an opportunity to speak with the teacher in chare and possibility to get their test re-graded (this step do not need to be included)
Peer assessment is a powerful meta-cognitive tool which increases students learning. By activating students in peer assessment the students have to reflect and critically evaluate their peers and thereby also their own knowledge and performance.
This was also demonstrated during the practical exercise at the workshop. All participants had to answer a short test individually which was then evaluated by the others participants working in pairs. The importance of working in pairs when assessing the tests became clear for the participants since it was through the discussion with their peer understanding and judgement were challenged.
There are several benefits of student peer assessment:
- A simple way to increase the amount of feedback to the students
- Give immediate feedback to the students own solutions of the actual problems
- The students get familiar with the criteria used for grading
- The students get trained to analyze and value performance together with peers, i.e. developing transferable skills (judgement, cooperation, teamwork) needed for their professional life.
- A simple way for teachers to get feedback on an early stage (operative evaluation)
- Better exam results!