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STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PEER AND SELF ASSESSMENT

Emmanuel Zhanda

Abstract


This study was meant to explore student perceptions and reflections on a group work technique of peer and self assessment at Botho University, Francistown. The paper was necessitated by the inherent short-comings of the rudimental use of group assignment as a pedagogical tool for attaining intended learning outcomes in teaching given the premise that many students in group assignments are free riders. A lot has been written on peer and self assessment and the literature has recommended composite assessment that incorporates instructor’s grade with self and peers’ grades to generate an individual grade to alleviate the free ride syndrome. A descriptive survey was used for this study as the research design. A systematic sampling method of twenty four (24) students from a cohort of hundred and fourteen (114) at Botho University, Francistown doing Legal Aspects of Business for the January to June 2015 semester.

 

A self-administered questionnaire triangulated with semi-structured interviews were used as data collection instruments. The study established that group members facilitate learning amongst themselves and that peer and self assessment is an effective and efficient approach in improving student performance. This study recommended that a quasi-experimental pre and post test can be employed before and after the adoption of peer and self assessment. More-so it recommended further research to be carried out to investigate reflections and perceptions of teaching instructors on the usefulness and effectiveness of self and peer assessment.

Keywords


Peer and self assessment, Formative assessment, Composite assessment, Deep learning and surface learning, Cooperative learning, Intended learning outcomes.

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