Engaging students in reflective practice through a process of formative peer review and peer assessment

Abstract

The benefits of engaging students in reflective practice through a process of peer learning and peer assessment are said to include increased awareness of the quality of their work, increased self reflection on their learning and on their performance as peer evaluators, improved student learning outcomes and the development of life long learning skills. Despite these potential benefits, several studies have reported unfavourable student attitudes to peer assessment, including student fears about the effects of rivalries and competition, a lack of confidence about their qualifications to carry out the work, doubts about their ability to be objective and lack of training for the task. The literature also reports various strategies that can be adopted to address these concerns, such as the provision of training for students and tutors in self, peer and collaborative assessment, and ensuring students understand the benefits to be gained from participation in the assessment process. This paper explores the potential of these alternative assessment models by drawing on the experience of the authors who have employed collaborative formative peer review and peer assessment in their undergraduate media arts courses over the last three years. The benefits for students and teachers engaged in a process of reflective practice are reported as well as the challenges in moving from formative review to a peer assessment approach. In the concluding section of the paper, the authors discuss suggested strategies aimed at addressing the identified challenges and facilitating student engagement in the peer assessment process.