Interact at the Center

Putting the Assessment Blogs Together: Peer-Review

December 15, 2009

Recently we have presented a series of posts which aim to explore how reflecting on  assessment methods can lead instructors to develop a set of meaningful assignments to engage students and improve course design.

From the student-centered learning model, committed to valuing connectivity of subjects and ideas across disciplines, to a review of Bloom’s Taxonomy discussing the building blocks of effective questioning, to Astin’s I-E-O model which provides a holistic sense of student learning, we’ve tried to offer questions which encourage reflection and careful consideration about practices.

But instructors should not be alone in their reflection. In fact, the more that students learn to reflect on the connections between their subjects, the clarity of the language they use and the ways in which their wider learning environment influences understanding, the more their work on major assessments will improve.

Students who understand these concepts can also offer positive feedback and encouragement for their classmates through the use of peer review strategies. Having students review and evaluate one another’s work can be instrumental in creating a positive and effective learning environment. Notably, encouraging review processes between peers can help students to construct an open and engaged learning community based on mutual respect, consideration and instructive communication. This kind of learning environment, according to Astin’s model can encourage deeper learning and a more thorough understanding of the subject.

By modeling fundamentally sound writing and reliable feedback, students can see a practical guide for evaluating the usage of grammar as an element of their peer reviews. Conversation and dialogue can help individuals to judge the criticism in written work. And as students get consistent practice in providing meaningful responses to the writings of their peers, they will improve in efforts to analyze effective paper structures. Students can provide valuable feedback, they only need a respectable model of revision, open communication about such work, and the opportunity to practice and hone their skills.

While the groundwork may seem daunting, peer-review processes actually relieve teachers of the hefty burden of reviewing and evaluating every nascent piece of student work, while allowing students to explore the complexity of evaluating the work of others. This higher order thinking skill, in Bloom’s Taxonomy, will allow students to not only help one another but also to help themselves identify errors in their own work, improve their communication skills and practice effective instruction methods should they choose to pursue a career in higher education.

The myriad benefits offered by peer-review can improve many classrooms, but only to the extent that instructors and students understand the value of reflection. As teachers reflect and help their students to do the same, learner-centered instruction, Bloom’s taxonomy and holistic views of student learning can encourage meaningful learning for all students. Make no mistake, measuring student performance is an important element in any curriculum, reflecting upon the way you measure to ensure that your practices are accurate, constructive and beneficial to the learning process is crucial to making such measurements effective parts of your classroom.

Entry Filed under: Assessment. Posted in  Assessment .