Scale-referenced, summative peer assessment in undergraduate interpreter training: self-reflection from an action researcher

ABSTRACT

This article reports on a first-person action research study in which the teacher-researcher reflects in/on his three-cycle (three-semester) project on summative peer assessment undertaken by undergraduate students using a rating scale. The settings for each cycle were two successive interpreting classes taught by the researcher using the same teaching materials. In each cycle, the participants (students in the two intact classes) were provided with training opportunities for 4 weeks running before the midterm examination. Their examination performances were assessed post situ by either classmates or students in the other class. The way in which the project was implemented in each cycle was changed according to the researcher’s analysis of data collected. Data collection methods included reflective journals, interviews, rating sheets, end-of-semester questionnaires, and a validation meeting. This study demonstrates the credibility, benefits, and procedural difficulties of scale-referenced, summative peer assessment in a local interpreter training situation.

KEYWORDS:

• Action research
• interpreting performance
• consecutive interpreting
• rating scale
• rater training

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my students for their active participation and support. I am also very grateful to the reviewers and editor for their careful reading of the manuscript. Their insightful comments and suggestions contributed substantially to improving the quality and clarity of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Research Fund.