Perceptions of Web-mediated Peer Assessment

Abstract Previous studies have revealed that peer pressure is a factor in negative student perceptions of peer assessment. In this study, a web-mediated system was utilized to facilitate peer assessment and provide anonymity minimizing the impact of peer pressure. Post-assessment survey results indicated that students generally accepted this method and recognized its' value in promoting critical learning. The merits of anonymity and instant feedback were acknowledged in student responses. Introduction Peer assessment has become one of the most common strategies for shifting students' roles in learning from passively observing to actively participating in higher education in the past two decades. Peer assessment is a process in which students evaluate the achievement or performance of others of similar status (Topping, Smith, Swanson, & Elliot, 2000). Peer assessment has been "viewed as having significant pedagogic value" (Patti, 2002). Peer assessment's benefits in promoting higher order thinking and supporting cooperative learning have been established. Pope (2001) suggested that peer assessment stimulates student motivation and encourages deeper learning. Freeman (1995) noted that studying the marking criteria and evaluating peers' work could improve students' awareness of their own work and encourage deeper understanding. Topping (1998), after reviewing 109 articles focusing on peer assessment, confirmed that peer assessment yields cognitive benefits for both assessors and assessees in multiple ways. Those "benefits might accrue before, during and after" the process. He further concluded that feedback yielded from this process has a positive impact on students' grades and subjective perceptions. Researchers have generally agreed that peer assessment promotes student autonomy and facilitates meaningful learning (Freeman, 1995; Pope, 2001). However, despite this widespread acceptance of this process, there were only a very limited number of publications in literature exploring how students view this method (Hanrahan & Isaacs, 2001). In general, the literature reveals that student perceptions towards peer assessment are twofold: On one hand, students acknowledge and recognize the merits of peer assessment; on the other hand, a number of diverse reasons caused student negative or unsure feelings. Gatfield (1999) utilized peer assessment in a compulsory international marketing management course. After peer assessment, students were asked to respond to a survey regarding their attitudes towards peer assessment. The analysis of the survey was divided into three parts. The first part considered students' perceptions of the suitability of the peer assessment method in that course. The second part dealt with the degree of student satisfaction. The third part solicited student suggestions for improvement of the process. Data analysis indicated that students in general held an approximate level of agreement and showed an acceptance of the method of peer assessment. Data also revealed that overall there was a high level of student satisfaction. Students' suggestions for improvement were for tutors to offer more consultation time and to allocate more time in tutorials to assist group work. This finding of positive student attitudes was also supported by Stefani's study (1994). Almost all the participants in his study indicated that peer assessment made them think more and 85% students said that it made them learn more than traditional assessments of their work. In their study, Hanrahan and Isaacs (2001) presented an analysis of the views of a large number of students (233) who had just experienced self- and peer-feedback as part of one of their subjects. The data indicated that students felt that they benefited from the intervention. Although most students enjoy peer assessment and understand its values, not all the experiences associated with peer assessment were favorable. …