Peer Assessment Peer Assessment What’s it all about? Ian Hughes Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK

What is peer assessment and why do it? Students assessing students Because: v v you’ll have to, early in a job v v it teaches you about critical appraisal v v it gives experience in critical appraisal v v if you can assess others you can assess and improve your own work – independent scientist/worker v v you get complete feedback on what you should have done v v you can compare your work and standards with others v v you understand the work better v v you learn it better --- Research evidence ---

GOOD ASSESSMENT - does peer assessment make the grade? v v Accurate and reproducible v v Appropriate methods used v v Efficient and timely v v Related to learning objectives v v Monitors student progress v v Provides staff-student contact v v ALWAYS provides high quality feedback v v Stimulates learning v v Develop self-assessment abilities v v Appeals process ? + integrity issue

What have we peer- assessed? v v Verbal communication v v Poster presentations v v Information retrieval and formatting v v Laboratory reports v v Data interpretation exercises v v Long essays (**) Saves staff time, improves student learning, creates ability to assess self and others

Peer mark % Academic staff mark % y= x r=0.88 Verbal presentation skills

Why use peer assessment of lab write-ups? v v saves staff time and effort (200 every 14 days) v v all get all the information v v provides full explanation v v requires better understanding v v develops critical evaluation v v see others’ mistakes and standards   exposes bias/fairness/integrity issues

How is it done? v v explain purpose v v instructions on format; additional questions v v hand-in deadline (penalty) v v all in LT (350) (penalty) - distribute at random v v explicit marking schedule distributed v v prepared explanations + OHP v v total marks and sign (10% checked) v v reproducible v v appeals procedure

Practicalnumber Acad. staff marked Peer marked Mark (out of 10) Practical write-ups

What are the problems? v v introduction and initiation v v keep silence during marking! v v some students don’t like it (hard work, its your job, some are unfair) v v marking schedules get passed on v v cheating? v v scheduling; all same prac; time between prac and marking session; standard answer /data

Peer assessment of long essays v v Medical students v v words v v Proforma for staff and students (properly referenced, critical approach, evidence based; good presentation) v v Staff mark % v v Student mark % v v NSD; P>0.7

Peer (self) mark % Academic staff mark % Medical student long essays

Take home messages PEER ASSESSMENT v v is good assessment v v can improve student learning v v equips you for the real world

Peer mark % Academic staff mark % Data handling and interpretation

Peer poster assessment Group AGroup BGroup C n=4n=4n=4 staffpeerpeer first poster staffstaffstaff second poster staff P assess + only P assessed P assessed NOTE: peer process took significantly longer; small numbers; groups not isolated; 6 weeks between posters; rest of course ongoing; self selection of groups; new method effect

MARKING n=44 ACADEMIC PEER Global mean Commonality: Top quartile mean+s.e Bottom quartile 11 9 mean+s.e Verbal presentation skills