Peer Assessment

The benefits of peer assessment for teaching and learning

Peer assessment is a great tool for encouraging collaboration, and helps to develop communication, self-evaluation, critiquing abilities and observation skills. These collaborative skills are increasingly important for students entering the job market, and are therefore an essential element of a university qualification. By assessing peers, students also gain a deeper insight into the learning process, such as a better understanding of learning objectives and success criteria.

Some learning situations which may benefit from peer assessment include:

For members of a group producing a summative piece of work in which each member’s contributions would not otherwise be taken into consideration.
As a method for instructors to anticipate and address problems with group dynamics and performance.
Courses in which the learning outcomes include collaborative skills, personal development and/or self reflection.
Where involving students in the learning process is beneficial to the aims of the course, e.g. by increasing awareness of marking criteria.
Where development of a mutually supportive ‘cohort of learners’ through collaboration, reflection and feedback is a priority.

There are a couple of integrated tools that can be used to support peer assessment depending on the specific outcomes required, and we have put together guidance for both staff and students on the use of these tools.