Entwining feedback, self, and peer assessment.

Abstract

Assessment has frequently been used for the single purpose of measuring student success. This article suggests that assessment can help students learn and that teachers should involve students in the assessment process. A small scale study was conducted to investigate the impact of getting students engaged in self and peer assessment in a tutorial session where feedback was nondirective. It was evident that the combined use of feedback, self, and peer assessment has a strong impact on learning.

Introduction

Traditionally, assessment is used for measuring learner success rather than to bring about that success. Teachers teach, test, mark and grade the papers, and then disseminate the results to students or other interested parties. Upon receiving the results, what students normally do is to look for the marks or grades given by the teachers and then compare them with their peers. The class then moves on, leaving unsuccessful and, very likely, unmotivated and/or unhappy students. Assessment under this methodology has very little to do with learning and is treated merely as a measuring tool often at the end of the learning process. In this tradition, teachers and students alike, have not tapped into the power tank of assessment--assessment as a means to improve student learning. Assessment has a direct impact on learning. It is widely accepted that the way students are assessed has a major influence on their learning. If used appropriately, assessment can enhance student learning (Berry 2003a, Berry 2003b; Berry 2005, Black and Wiliam 1998; Stiggins 2002). Askham (1997, p. 300) says that "The importance of the role of assessment in the teaching and learning process cannot be doubted."

Conditions for assessment which supports learning

There have been many studies into how people learn and a range of models of learning have been developed. Reeves (2000, p. 104-5) points out that assessment is most likely to lead to improvement when it is part of a larger set of conditions that promote change. Gibbs and Simpson (in press) list eleven conditions under which assessment supports student learning.

Quantity and distribution of student effort:

1. Assessed tasks capture sufficient time and effort.

2. These tasks distribute student effort evenly across topics and weeks. Quality and level of student effort

3. These tasks engage students in productive learning activity.

4. Assessment communicates clear and high expectations to students. Quantity and timing of feedback

5. Sufficient feedback is provided often enough and in enough detail.

6. The feedback is provided quickly enough to be useful to students. Quality of feedback

7. Feedback focuses on learning rather than on marks or students.

8. Feedback is linked to the purpose of the assignment and to criteria.

9. Feedback is understandable to students, given their sophistication. Student response to feedback

10. Feedback is received by students and attended to.

11. Feedback is acted upon by students to improve their work or their learning.

From the above, it is not difficult to notice that assessment that supports learning will need the joint efforts of the teacher and the student. It is, as Chappuis & Stiggins (2002, p.41) say, 'We tend to think of students as passive participants in assessment rather than engaged users of the information that assessment can produce." For the teacher, being able to treat students as active participants who can use assessment to take responsibility for and improve their own learning is significant. It is important to get students engaged in the assessment and learning activities and make them aware that their involvement in them is crucial to improving their learning. What we should be asking is, as Chappuis & Stiggins (2002, p.41) have also asked, "How can students use assessment to take responsibility for and improve their own learning?" To address this question, we could look into the potential of feedback, peer assessment, and self assessment and the impact of them on learning when used in combination in a piece of research.

Linking feedback, peer, and self assessment

Feedback, peer and self assessment have the potential of lifting students to a higher level of taking responsibility towards their own learning. Squires (2003, p.39) says that "Feedback gives us information about the results or consequences of what we do and is as crucial in teaching and learning as in any other activity, forming part of the loop or cycle of self-regulation." Basically, feedback is any information that is provided to the performer of any action about that performance (McCallum, 2000 p.11). Feedback usually happens through: teachers' comments on individuals' performance on tasks during the class; working together in a practical setting such as a workshop, laboratory or field trip; marks and written comments on homework and assignments; individual or small-group tutoring or supervision; or marks and comments on assessed work and exams (Squires, 2003 p. 40). Research (Butler, 1987; Sadler, 1989; Taras, 2002) suggests that feedback based on grades or marks fails to change future performance. There is a new emphasis on giving comments on students' work and a particularly valuable method is to devote some lesson time to redrafting one or two pieces of work, so that emphasis can be put on feedback for improvement within a supportive environment (Black et al., 2003 p.46).

Peer assessment and self assessment are interrelated and therefore should not be discussed in isolation. Black et al. (2003, p.50) point out that peer assessment can be an important component and may even be a prior requirement for self-assessment. It is important to clarify that neither peer assessment nor self assessment is a method; they are a process which is vital whatever assessment is used (Cooper, 1998 p.5). Through these kinds of assessment, students learn how to monitor their own learning, develop the ability to judge and evaluate their own and their peers' work, as well as think about what to do next. Most importantly, they help motivate students, convince them that they are able to improve their performance in examinations and tests through their own efforts, and to empower them to take control of their own learning (Tanner & Jones 2003). There are a number of ways of helping students to become involved in self-assessment, for example, making the process a natural part of classroom practice, making it useful and easily doable, and integrating self, peer, and teacher assessment (Peatling, 2000 p.5).

The pilot study

A pilot study was conducted to gain some insights on the impact of feedback on student learning. As part of the module requirements, the students studying for a professional study module had to submit an essay which evaluated a curriculum being implemented in a school. Students were offered an optional tutorial with me as the teacher if they needed support towards writing their essay. Amongst the twenty students, about a dozen of them asked me for a meeting. Some came individually and some came as a group. Some came with a few questions in mind and some had a few points or a preliminary draft written down for the meeting. The tutorial was based on the mode of questions from the students and answers by the teacher. I would ask the students to write down the points discussed in the meeting and to reflect on how they felt about this way of learning support. At the end of the meeting, I told them that they could have another meeting if they had a second draft. Four came back for a second meeting. One even came back for a third meeting with her second draft.

A lot of insights were gained from the pilot study. It was found that a group tutorial was useful as the questions raised by one student could generate discussions amongst themselves. Those who wrote down the points discussed after the meeting tended to find the feedback very useful. One said, "Great help. I instantly knew what was needed to improve my essay." Another said, "I could redraft my essay right away." However, only one of them realized that one main purpose of the tutorial was to help them think through their own work. The results had shed some light on the design of the main study. When designing the main study, in addition to giving feedback to students, I integrated the aspects of peer and self assessment in the tutorial to improve student learning.

The study

This small scale study investigated the impact of feedback, peer assessment, and self assessment on learning when used in combination. Twenty undergraduate students were involved in this study. As one of their assignments, the students were required to submit a 500 word review of an article of their choice from the reading list. A tutorial was arranged for the teacher to give face-to-face feedback to the students. To facilitate students taking control over their own learning, students were invited to make contributions before, during, and after the interactive tutorial session. Before the tutorial, students sent the teacher the first draft of their assignment, in order that the teacher could identify the points that would need discussion. The teacher highlighted the discussion points on the students' scripts. On a separate sheet of paper, the tutor wrote down the comments to be given during the tutorial. The written comments were used for arousing students' thinking about their own work. In addition to this, a feedback form was designed for students to take notes during and after the interactive tutorial.

Students came in groups between three and six for the tutorial. At the beginning of the interactive session, the students read the 'marked' first draft individually. They were asked to do some thinking about those points that were highlighted and to make suggestions for alternatives. After that, they were encouraged to talk with their peers about their thoughts. The discussion soon extended to including the teacher, who took up the role of facilitator. The students put their notes in the first box of the feedback form. After this, the students sat in a quiet corner to recap the discussion points raised in the interactive session. Next, they wrote down what they needed to do to improve their work in the second box. The third box was used to reflect on how they felt about this method. At the end of the tutorial, the tutor kept a copy of the feedback form and the 'marked' first draft. Students took the original and revised their work accordingly.

All twenty students found the combined use of feedback, peer assessment, and self assessment useful for their learning. Below are some of the comments they wrote in the reflection box of the feedback sheet.

* This was the first time I had such kind of tutorial. It was really useful. During the tutorial, we noted down the points being discussed. Immediately after the tutorial, I was given time to think about how I could improve my work.'

* 'Useful. This method can give us a chance to hear about and find solutions to our peers' problems.'

* 'Very useful as I have been given time to think about how I should improve my work.'

* 'This is good as it let us think a lot more. Can certainly help improve our thinking skills and the essay.'

* 'It's good to have a consultation to know how my work was written and how I can improve it.'

* 'It motivates me to think about the writing. Also, we can share ideas among us and thus generate more ideas.'

* 'Useful. Self and peer evaluation. We could learn from each other's problems.'

* 'I think group feedback is more beneficial than individual feedback. But it's difficult.'

* 'Can learn from others, stimulate my thinking skills, think deeply about the article.'

Discussion and implications

The fact that assessment can affect learning positively has often been over-looked. In addition to its obvious use of measuring student success, it can be use for enhancing student learning. The study reported used a combined method of feedback, peer and self assessment to investigate the impact of them on student learning. It was evident that the method used promotes learning as:

* It does not impose learning but engages student in the learning processes.

* Learning is not treated as a one-off activity. Students are required to improve their work before its submission.

* The approach demands students' contribution before, during, and after the interactive session.

* Expectations from students are made clear to students through the interactive tutorial session.

* Immediate feedback is made available in the tutorial session. Students can seek answers or directions from the tutor.

* Feedback is non-directive. The feedback of the tutor aims at helping students identify the specific areas or problems they need to address or to solve.

* The tutorial session allows students to raise questions relevant to their own work.

* Students are required to think through their own work, then make suggestions on how it can be improved.

* Students are responsible for their own learning. Students act upon the decision they make. They revise their work based on their understanding of the outcomes of the interactive session.

The above mentioned methods could be used in situations where students are expected to improve their work throughout the course or module. It is best suited for teaching modules or courses with clear learning objectives and linked assessment that requires students to produce an open-ended piece of written work, for example, an essay. The method is applicable to any discipline.

Conclusion

Assessment has been under utilized as a means to enhance student learning. There are strong indications from the literature that assessment can offer much more than being a tool used merely for measuring student success. To make assessment a means for improving student learning, teachers will have to get students involved in the assessment process. Students should be given the opportunity to reflect on their learning and their peers' learning through self assessment and peer assessment, in addition to the feedback given by the teachers. The purpose of the study reported in this article was to investigate the impact of a combined use of feedback, self assessment, and peer assessment on learning. Students involved in the study found this new method very helpful for their learning. They appreciated the chance to self assess their own work and discuss their work with their peers in a supportive tutorial session, where feedback was non-directive. Whilst individually, feedback, self assessment, and peer assessment are acknowledged for their effectiveness on student learning, one should look into the potential of a combined use of the three. This article argues that a combined use of feedback, self and peer assessment can be very powerful for helping student learn, as demonstrated by the method used for the investigation.

References

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Rita Berry, Hong Kong Institute of Education 

Berry, PhD, is a lecturer of Education. She teaches, publishes, and consults in the areas of assessment, English language teaching, and curriculum.