Design principles and outcomes of peer assessment in higher education

Abstract

Design principles and outcomes of peer assessment in higher education This study aims to find effective designs of peer assessment of written assignments in the context of university teaching. To discover features yielding optimal results, several designs of peer assessment were developed, implemented in courses and evaluated with respect to their short term learning outcomes. Our study involved nine teachers and 168 students from the History Department of the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. Most students processed peer feedback and perceived improvement. Significant differences between grades of PA and non-PA groups were not found. Some teachers perceived the products improved as a result of peer assessment, most teachers saw more and better-structured interaction in classes. Important design features seemed to be the timing of peer assessment, so it will not coincide with staff assessment, the assessment being reciprocal, and performed in feedback groups of three or four students.