The role of peer-assessment in the classroom
As I have been investigating the role of peer-assessment in writing I have reviewed the literature concerning the implementation of these methods in the classroom.
Falchikov & Goldfinch (2000, p. 287) give a definition of peer and self-assessment as;
‘In both of these activities, students are engaging with criteria and standards, and applying them to make judgements. In self assessment, students judge their own work, while in peer assessment they judge the work of their peers.’
A deeper definition comes from Black & Wiliam (2001, p.2);
“An assessment activity can help learning if it provides information to be used as feedback, by teachers, and by their [students] in assessing themselves
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Sadler (1989, p.83) merits the process of peer-assessing in stating that it is valuable as the ‘interchange will be in language that they naturally use’ - therefore meaning is constructed in a different way.
Peer and self- assessment is a type of formative assessment for learning as oppose to a summative form – it is concerned with how to take information about the students learning process and subsequently use the data collected to optimize learning. Researchers have been keen to investigate whether formative assessment can have measurable positive impact on learning (Black, Harrison, and Lee 2003; Black and William 1998).
Kollar and Fischer (2010, p 305)
Black & William (1998) have been researching formative assessment since 1996. Their large-scale review found that formative reform raises standards in schools lending it to be used to inform the Key Stage 3 Strategy, as well as the Primary National Strategy. In 1998 they conducted a four-year study ‘Inside the Black Box-Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment’ a meta-analysis in which they investigated worldwide for effective classroom based research. They identified 700 studies, but were judicious in choosing only those with large effect sizes and reliable design. The study measured learning gains by comparing (a) the average improvements in pupils ' scores on tests with (b) the range of scores that are found for typical groups of pupils on these
Assessment plays a significant role in the learning experience of students. It determines their progression through their programmes and enables them to demonstrate that they have achieved the intended learning outcomes. It is assessment that provides the main basis for public recognition of achievement, through the awarding of qualifications and/or credit.
Peer and Self Assessment is an effective way to get the learners involved and it gives a clear idea of what the learner is currently at and what action is needed to meet the standards and criteria. This can be done through feedback.
The term ‘formative assessment’ is used to describe the activities and processes used by teachers and learners to gather information that informs future teaching and learning. Assessment becomes formative if the information gathered is used as feedback to adapt and modify teaching and learning (Black and Wiliam, 1998, p.2). There are a variety of different methods and techniques that can be used by teachers and learners that can contribute to enhancing learner progress. These include
Assessment, both formative and summative, plays a significant part in the learning experience as it determines progression and enables learners to demonstrate that they have achieved their desired learning outcomes.
Assessments are the process of evaluating an individual’s learning. They involve generating and collecting evidence of a learner’s attainment of knowledge and skills and judging that evidence against defined standards. Formative Assessments (quizzes and practical tests) are used to
According to the School curriculum and standards authority (2014) assessments should arise naturally out of teaching and intended learning developed from the curriculum and syllabus, the judgements made by educators assists in students ongoing learning (para. 1).
This artifact portrays the ability of students to self and peer assess during learning activities. “Self-assessment is more accurately defined as a process by which students 1) monitor and evaluate the quality of their thinking and behavior when learning and 2) identify strategies that improve their understanding and skills (McMillian and Hearn, 2008).” This particular activity was part of a larger learning target.
Their research takes into account individual teachers opinions on assessment and highlights their concerns on various approaches. It displays the negative feeling towards summative assessment and its restrictive nature. This view is best summarised by one teacher within their research who feels that the process of marking is a defeatist act stating “marking reinforces under-achievement and under-expectation by being too generous or unfocused” (OFSTED general report on secondary schools 1996, p.40 cited in Black & Wiliam, 2001). It is therefore not surprising that those pupils who require differentiated materials or have additional support needs benefit from the formative assessment approach. For this group of learners it allows them to interact with the teacher, receive informed feedback to promote clearer understandings and therefore leads to learning being clear and achievable goals set. As Black and Wiliam highlight, forms of summative assessment contributes to national league tables which is a political concern held higher than the implementation of formative assessment (2001). This approach does not however promote self-esteem or encourage learning as there is no form of focused feedback, only a high or low mark. It was therefore emphasised
The function of assessment in learning and development is to provide a measurable way of planning and supporting students’ progress. Assessment is carried out by means of checks and tests carried out throughout the course. Assessors should provide feedback throughout ensuring that learning is occurring and the learner is at the correct level. It is also important that assessor’s decisions are also consistently reviewed and internally and externally verified.
Describe and explain the ways in which assessment practice has the potential to impact students’ learning:
4.3 Explain how peer and self-assessment can be used effectively to promote learner involvement and personal
Within peer assessment, you can involve the whole group; it shows different views and allows others to challenge their ways of thinking and maybe even change the way they may think. On the flip side it can easily get out of hand allowing the more confident members to take over leaving the quieter one to sit back therefore not allowing a proper assessment to take place.
Assessment for learning is any assessment for which the first priority in its design and practice is to serve the purpose of promoting further student learning and enabling improved student learning through purposeful interaction and providing meaningful feedback. Formative assessment is specifically intended to generate feedback and feed forward on performance to improve, accelerate and enable learning (Sadler, 1998). Formative assessment can and should occur throughout a daily class, through implementation of learning and teaching strategies that lead to both oral and written feedback. The Formative assessment approach is equitable and reliable, producing some significant indicator of student developed understanding that links directly to the syllabus outcomes. This then allows the teacher or other students to respond by trying to
Recently, whenever I hear current teachers discussing about assessing students, ‘Formative Assessment’ is sure to be highlighted. Nowadays this method (formative assessment) is becoming popular among schools and is being applied widely in schools including my own school. Loughland and Kilpatrick (2015) identified in the few past decades, formative assessment has turned out to be the main goal for teachers and educational systems. On the foundation of Loughland and Kilpatrick (2015) findings and from my experience in the field of teaching, I found out nowadays teachers and school stakeholders strongly feel that formative assessment is the best method to assess in order to enhance students’ learning. For these evident reasons, I am interested in finding
Assessment provides feedback that learners can use to determine their progress, in relation to learning outcomes (Spiller, 2009:6).