Group Work and Peer Assessment in Optometry Higher Education.

Peer assessment has been described as a collaborative method of assessment which promotes active and reflective learning. It is particularly useful in higher educational context, since university students are required to involve in more autonomous and student-centered activities. Therefore, university instructors should consider alternative forms of assessment. However, peer assessment is often neglected by instructors and students are not prepared to employ peer practices. The aim of the current literature review is to analyze the previous studies on peer assessment in higher education. Particularly, it will describe the reasons for using peer assessment, its forms, as well as benefits and challenges of employing peer assessment in higher education. Therefore, the findings will raise the awareness of teachers and students regarding advantages and limitations of peer assessment technique. To achieve this goal, the review of 30 articles is presented from the various databases, namely: Google Scholar, Eric, and JSTOR between the 2015-2024 years.

This chapter addresses some issues relating to the use of e-learning tools and environments for implementing peer assessment. It aims to weigh up the opportunities and the challenges that are offered by considering peer assessment for learning and peer assessment of learning. In doing this, reference is made to some of the general issues that arise in implementing peer assessment in higher education, as well as to the functionalities of e-learning tools and environments, and the characteristics of those who use them in this context (teachers and students). Discussion of opportunities focuses on strategies for peer assessment available from tools and environments that are categorized as pre-Web 2.0 (and continuing) technologies, Web 2.0 technologies, and ‘other tools’. Consideration of challenges focuses on the characteristics and requirements of teachers and students as users. It is concluded that opportunities outweigh challenges, particularly in relation to peer assessment for learning, but that peer assessment of learning is more challenging and likely to be more limited in uptake because of the expectations that are placed on users. It is also noted that the capacities offered by Web 2.0 technologies for peer-based relationships and interaction with content present both an opportunity and a challenge which may have future implications for the role of the teacher and for supporting a reconceptualization of how evidence used for peer assessment of learning is presented and judged.

Creativity is a significant element in design education, and frequently a significant competency during recruitment for design professions. Group work and individual work are widely employed in higher education. Many studies have highlighted the merits of employing group work in design education, cultivating collaborative design abilities and fostering sought-after employability skills. Although the benefits of group work in design practice and education are widely recognised, few studies have shown evidence that group work outperforms individual work regarding creative design activities in higher education contexts. Therefore, the aim of this research is to explore whether group or individual work is more beneficial for fostering students in generating creative designs in STEM design education. A case study, involving two cohorts of second-year undergraduate students studying a UK Engineering degree Industrial Design programme, is reported. The case study compares the design outputs produced by the two cohorts tackling the same design challenge in a product design module but employing individual and group work, respectively. The case study results show that no significant differences have been found between the design outputs produced by group work and individual work, considering novelty, usefulness and overall creativity. Further analysis reveals that a student’s academic performance is not significantly related to the level of creativity of the design produced. This research indicates design educators should employ both group and individual work to complement each other in design education, and suggests potential solutions to enhance students’ design creativity.

Peer Assessment plays an important role in facilitating a collaborative learning environment among students in Higher Education. It can be an effective platform for Team-Based activities and to promote cooperative learning. Such approaches are being introduced at different curricula levels as students who engage with cooperative learning tend to exhibit higher academic achievement, better critical thinking and deeper understanding of teaching contents. They can also build more positive and supportive relations with peers which is a crucial organizational skill. However, very few studies have investigated the use of peer assessment for informing cooperative learning in Higher Education. Can Peer Assessment be used to promote cooperative learning among students in Higher Education? This paper explores a second year undergraduate module titled ‘Design, Construction and Test’ in the Department of Electronic Engineering at York. This module has a Peer Review component in one of the assessments. A total of 12 groups participated in this module and using content analysis, their peer review reports were analyzed. The findings highlighted five key factors that contribute towards cooperative learning: delegation, team leadership, attendance, active engagement and effective communication. Groups which implemented these elements within their teams experienced effective collaboration among team members whereas groups which experienced conflicts among peers reflected on the lack of some of these. Peer Assessment gives students an efficient platform to understand the benefits of cooperative learning. To facilitate collaboration in an effective manner, educators must emphasize these factors when exercising Team-Based activities in their curricula.

Assessment in Higher Education (HE) is widely accepted as fundamental to the learning process. The assessment strategy employed in a programme plays a major role in how, what and when students engage and as such influences the depth of learning that occurs. A well-structured holistic approach to assessment within a programme can be of a major benefit to both students and academics. The use of Peer Assessment (PA) and other more formative tools assists in the development of self-directed independent learners. A critical evaluation of the effectiveness of programme assessment strategies and methodologies involves the analysis of the current practice and the perceptions of all involved. As a starting point in the development of a framework for the cohesive inclusion of PA in the B.Sc(Hons) Medical Science degree programme in GMIT this paper presents an exploratory review of the current assessment methodology in use. Methodologically, following a documentary analysis approach, the programme’s module descriptors were reviewed for content related to assessment methods in use. Staff and students of the programme were both surveyed to gain an insight into current practice and to document students’ perceptions of their experience of assessment and of peer assessment in particular. The main findings demonstrated a marked lack of transparency and detail in relation to assessment strategy in the module documentation. Staff are using diverse assessment methods in this programme, including PA, albeit at individual module level. Students’ perceptions and experiences of assessment and PA is overall positive. The programme and the students would benefit from a more structured programmatic approach to the inclusion of PA.

The importance of group learning has increased significantly in higher education in the past two decades (Houldsworth and Mathews, 2000). The primary focus of this study is to explore the feelings and experience of students regarding group work and group assessment in higher education. The study is exploratory based on a qualitative focus group approach. Interestingly, students felt that group work is a significant method to foster the development of critical thinking through discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of others' ideas. Students consider “poor communication” and “poor attendance at group meetings” as the main challenges they face when working within a group. Also, students identified “dedicated assignment seminars” as the most effective tool, which could be used to enhance the effectiveness of group work. This study reinforces the findings of previous research into group work suggesting that the experience is a generally positive one for students. Results are discussed in the conte...

Peer assessment in higher education has been studied for decades. Despite the substantial amount of research carried out, peer assessment has yet to make significant advances. This review identifies themes of recent research and highlights the challenges that have hampered its advance. Most of these challenges arise from the manual nature of peer assessment practices, which prove intractable as the number of students involved increases. Practitioners of the discipline are urged to forge affiliations with closely related fields and other disciplines, such as computer science, in order to overcome these challenges.

Self and peer-assessment are becoming central aspects of student-centred assessment processes in higher education. Despite increasing evidence that both forms of assessment are helpful for developing key capabilities in students, such as taking more responsibility for their own learning, developing a better understanding of the subject matter, assessment criteria and their own values and judgements, and developing critical reflection skills, both forms of assessment are still not the norm at universities. This paper provides the findings of a two-year study of formative self and peer-assessment at an Australian university. The study supports other research showing that students tend to regard formative self and peer-assessment as beneficial for gaining more insights about the assessment process and for improving their own work. We argue that self and peer-assessment requires careful design and implementation for it to be an effective tool for formative assessment processes; and that the development of students’ capacities for giving feedback, and the continuous and timely involvement of the teacher, are central aspects for successful self and peer-assessment. The move to self and peer-assessment is not simple for teachers and students but is worthwhile and necessary for twenty-first century higher education.

Predicting Satisfaction with Group Work Assignments

Honours research projects in the School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering at the University of Adelaide are run with small groups of students working with an academic supervisor in a chosen area for one year. The research project is mainly self-directed study, which makes it very difficult to fairly assess the contribution of individual students to a group-based research project. Until recently, a paper-based method of self and peer assessment (SPA) for the honours research projects was used to assess the projects. This was unsatisfactory for both students and academic staff, who found that the same mark was often awarded by the peers to each student without feedback. In 2010, therefore, an online SPA tool, SPARK, together with a set of newly developed assessment criteria, were used for SPA by the honours students. The new SPA criteria are based on teamwork and research skills, and the new rating scales reflect standard academic grades. Surveys of the students confirmed that they found the criteria and scales much more suitable for the assessment of group work and design projects.

Peer assessment has been shown as a productive strategy for supporting higher education students to learn from each other, yet it also evokes technical, pedagogical, and emotional challenges. This study seeks to benefit from the affordances of peer assessment while reducing typical tensions. Assessing-the-Assessors is an innovative approach to design and conduct web-supported multi-cycle peer assessment activities. The main notion in this approach is that peer assessment is conducted as an exercise to enhance learning; students are rewarded as assessors rather than assessees, while the formal grades for artifacts are provided by the instructor. This approach was implemented in 25 higher-education courses in various contexts with 848 students. Findings indicate that courses with multiple cycles of assessment were highly effective in promoting learning in three aspects: learners, instructors and social climate. Learners refined their artifacts, improved their ability to provide assessment, and increased their confidence in their ability to serve as assessors. Instructors were able to easily distinguish between student bias and their own bias, and to handle it appropriately. Social climate was productive; students' attitudes were positive and their commitment was high. We recommend instructors to utilize the Assessing-the-Assessors approach for increasing the benefits of peer assessment in higher education.

The strategy, which aims to promote student participation, peer interaction, and shared knowledge construction, is increasingly called into question by empirical evidence suggesting that this assumption does not consistently hold true, particularly in diverse and resource-constrained contexts. This study investigated group work assessment as a form of collaborative learning in higher education, focusing on the challenges associated with its implementation and the perceptions of both lecturers and students regarding its effectiveness. Guided by Social Constructivism Theory, which emphasises learning through social interaction and mediated collaboration, the study adopted a qualitative approach within an interpretivist paradigm. A case study design was employed, involving ten purposively selected participants, five lecturers and five final-year students, from a Faculty of Education at a selected university in South Africa. Data were generated using reflective instruments and analysed through thematic analysis in accordance with Braun and Clarke’s six-step procedure. The findings revealed that group work assessment is hindered by significant challenges, including poor communication, lack of participation, absence of leadership, and its time-consuming nature, all of which undermine meaningful collaboration. While lecturers generally perceived group work as a valuable pedagogical tool, students’ experiences were more ambivalent, highlighting a disconnect between intention and practice. The study concludes that group work assessment does not automatically foster participation and must be intentionally designed and facilitated. It recommends clear instructional guidelines, structured leadership roles, active monitoring, and assessment designs that balance collaboration with individual accountability to enhance inclusive and effective learning outcomes in higher education.

Self and peer assessment – does it make a difference to student group work?

This study tried to discover whether group work is effective to help the students get better understanding in the materials as well as being more active and sociable in class. This study was conducted for the sixth grade of SD Tarakanita Bumijo Yogyakarta on July-August 2022. This study would implement group work by conducting heterogenous groups. The data gathered came from combined observation data and quantitative questionnaire. Quantitative data is used to analyse numerical data. The data then converted by using 5 Likert scale to acknowledge the Group Work activity. Based on the result of the questionnaire number 1-3 with average score 4,26, It was concluded that this group work activity was successful in helping the students have better understanding of the material. Based on the result of the questionnaire number 4-5 with average score 4,33 and the observation during the activities group work helped the students got better understanding in the materials. The students helped and encourage each other during the study time and test time. Based on the result of the questionnaire number 6-8, students’ reflection on the questionnaire, and the observation notes, It was concluded that this group work activity was able to create good bond for the students and their friends. They helped each other, most of them didn’t argue or fight during the group work. They also felt closer after the group work. One important note before conducting the group work is setting the rules as clear as possible. Based on the result of the questionnaire, reflection, and observation data, group work make the students have better understanding of the material. The group work was also able to create good bond for the students and their friends. As they helped each other during the activity, most of them didn’t argue or fight. They got closer after the group work.

Teamwork and collaborative problem solving competencies are important 21st century skills and considered key graduate attributes for employability and lifelong learning (e.g., Csapó & Funke, 2017). For students to develop collaborative skills and competencies, group work and peer learning are widely-used approaches in higher education. Effective teamwork skills are often implicitly taught and notoriously disliked by students for many reasons including freeriding (social loafing), member dominance or disengagement. Well-functioning teams are underpinned by social-affective dimensions of group work such as respect for reviewers (Carless & Boud, 2018) and social cohesion (Bakhtiar et al., 2018). To positively influence group cohesion and develop team skills, formative peer evaluation of team members’ contributions have been shown to effectively support student agency in this process (Stenalt 2021, Sridharan et al., 2018). This case study explores the affordances of the digital peer review tools Feedback Fruits and Peer Assess Pro to facilitate feedback processes for the successful completion of high-stakes capstone group projects. Bachelor of Science students engage with anonymous team member evaluations of task completion as well as self-evaluation of team skills. To aid a major curriculum transformation at our university towards relational pedagogies, we embarked on an iterative and deliberate approach to scaling peer feedback. The approach aligns with educational design research integrating research and design processes for theoretical and practical outcomes (McKenney & Reeves, 2012, p. 76). Specifically, we aimed to understand 1) the student perception of technology facilitated peer feedback as learning for improved outcomes and raised self-awareness of teamwork skills, and 2) provide a non-threatening environment that enabled personal and collective agency for students as providers and receivers of feedback underpinned by Bandura’s (2001) social cognitive theory and human agency. Applying Bandura’s notion to group work, student agency can be enacted through a learner’s capacity to self-reflect on own capabilities (personal agency) as well as socially coordinated and interdependent efforts towards desired outcomes (collective agency). Questionnaire data on self-regulation (N=42) confirmed the usefulness of peer evaluation of team members’ contributions. However, only half of the students thought that peer feedback positively impacted group coherence and effectiveness such as time management, quality of submissions, or their own performance. Feedback and self-reflections on students’ own strengths and weaknesses were found to be empowering and generally supported team effectiveness. This was also evident from students’ comments (N=110) within the Feedback Fruits tool where students rated their self- and peer efficacy on six criteria: initiative, engagement, contribution, ideas and communication, focus, and harmony. We identified issues with timeliness and active engagement of the feedback received requiring further iterations of purposefully designed rubrics for intended learning outcomes. The impact of peer feedback on perceived self- and collective efficacy is highly complex and influenced by personal as well as sociocultural values (Bandura, 2001, p. 14). Our emphasis on feedback as a learning-centred process under controlled conditions (technology enhanced with clear rubrics) has shown that students can make the information work for themselves and their teams to improve high-stakes group project outcomes. Importantly, in agreement with Molloy et al. (2019), the development of feedback literacy helps to build academic skills, supports self-regulation and acknowledges feedback as a reciprocal process for future employability.