Peer-Based Assessment in the Classroom

Derek Edwards, PharmD
PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident
University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center

        Acknowledging the shift in educational outcomes for graduates of higher education, that being the transition from knowledge acquisition as a discrete endpoint towards generation of a workforce capable of higher level cognitive process (including the skills of problem solving, metacognition, and social competencies needed for productive collaboration with co-workers), there is an associated need for shift in mechanisms for assessment of outcomes. ¹ Though traditional test-based assessments may carry more immediate utility via a simple, discrete outcomes-based means of determining student “success,” ¹ these may be limited in their ability to both foster and screen for generation of these higher level cognitive processes as part of a didactic course. Instead, through the integration of more global means of assessment involving learners, such as peer assessment, course managers may not only stimulate improved determination of the degree of success with which students practice learning, ¹ but also, stimulate higher level cognitive processes and encourage students to engage course mobilization. 

        As suggested by its name, peer assessment is at its core a simple procedure, that being, “the process through which groups of individuals rate their peers.” ¹ Although by definition alone, this may appear to be a simplistic process, in fact, peer assessment is fairly broad reaching and modular in nature, encompassing both qualitative or quantitative evaluation in addition to either procedural or outcomes-based assessment of given criteria. ¹ That being said, although peer assessment may carry utility as the sole means for appraisal for success in evaluating student effectiveness in the process of learning, it should only be used adjunctively when aiming to determine concrete learning outcomes. ¹ From a hypothetical stance, the benefits of peer assessment for learners are theorized to include improved engagement with educational content on a critical basis in addition to the ability to compare and contrast both individual knowledge and performance with peers. ² Meta-analysis of several controlled investigations of peer assessment has demonstrated an overall positive impact of peer assessment on learner academic performance relative to both no assessment and teacher assessment of learners. ² Notably, this effect did not differ across education level (i.e. primary, secondary, or tertiary – defined as post-high school education) nor course subject, ² suggesting possible broad-reaching effects of peer assessment. There were however a limited number of graduate-level students included in this meta-analysis, ² making direct application to didactic pharmacy education perhaps more questionable. Furthermore, in regards to the question of where grades factor into peer assessment, although there was no difference in education outcomes whether or not peer assessment included a graded component for primary and secondary students, at the tertiary level, graded peer assessments was associated with positive results. ² Survey of graduate level students also revealed overall preference for a small portion of the assignment’s grade to be determined by peer assessment. ³ Nonetheless, in addition to positive impacts on academic performance, peer assessment was also associated with favorable response by students, ¹ though the setting of peer assessment may play an important role, with online peer assessment associated with less favorable response. ³ 

In terms of mobilization, qualitative investigations have suggested several factors to be potentially impactful on the results of peer assessment, including the importance of structured rubrics to guide assessment, the role for anonymity for mitigating bias, and the possible positive impact of repeated peer assessments on outcomes, ¹ though this was not supported through meta-analysis. ² These results, though perhaps less helpful in guiding best practices for implementation of peer assessment, do support the value for individualized assessment of each classroom for determination of which structural components may best yield student buy-in and positive educational outcomes. Thus, for the pharmacy educator, peer assessment may perhaps be integrated within activities that may better foster open debate amongst students (such as in clinical cases where the “grey areas” of practice may support multiple options for therapeutics) with a small portion of the grade arising from peer assessment. Course managers should not anticipate the implementation of peer assessment to result in less overall time required from them to grade assignments, but rather, may serve to foster greater learner buy-in and promote more positive educational outcomes.

References:

1.   Dochy F, Segers M, Sluijsmans D. The Use of Self-, Peer and Co-assessment in Higher Education: a review. Studies in Higher Education. 1999;24(3):331. doi:10.1080/03075079912331379935

2.   Double KS, McGrane JA, Hopfenbeck TN. The Impact of Peer Assessment on Academic Performance: A Meta-analysis of Control Group Studies. Educational Psychology Review. 2020;32(2):481-509. doi:10.1007/s10648-019-09510-3

3.   Wen ML, Tsai C-C. University Students’ Perceptions of and Attitudes toward (Online) Peer Assessment. Higher Education. 2006;51(1):27-44. doi:10.1007/s10734-004-6375-8