Students’ experience of peer assessment in a professional course

Abstract

This paper reports a case study that investigated the practice of peer assessment in a professional course, with particular emphasis on students’ experience. It was found that peer assessment processes were beneficial to students’ learning and development as professionals. The case study pointed to several conditions for effective implementation of peer assessment, which also relate to assessment in general. These conditions include: (a) adequate and appropriate preparation for the use of peer assessment; (b) alignment of assessment, learning objectives and the broader purpose of the course (e.g. preparation as professionals); (c) the availability of assistance from a teacher throughout the peer assessment process; and (d) constructive discussions following peer assessment, sensitively handled by a teacher.

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the willing participation of the course coordinator and students in this study. They also thank John Bowden, Catherine Manathunga and John Milton for providing them with thoughtful comments on an earlier version of this paper. The research reported here was carried out while the first author was completing a Master of Educational Studies degree in the School of Education at the University of Queensland, funded by the University of Queensland—Vietnam National University scholarship programme.