Student involvement in performance assessment: A research project

Introduction Starting phase: motivation and context Phase I: analysis of the complex skill of assessment and design training peer-assessment Phase II: experiment I: training peer-assessment Phase III: experiment II: training self-assessment and peer-assessment Closing phase: generalizibility of the training, recommendations, guidelines, limitations, possibilities Discussion References Abstract To develop the skills and competencies required in professional organisations, students have to reflect on their own behaviour and that of their peers. In the past, a shift could be observed from a static view to learning and intelligence to questions about how differences in complex skills of students could be described and trained. The assumption that selfand peer-assessment strategies are important in order to solve complex problems is widely acknowledged in education in so far, but giving students opportunities to carry out selfand peer-assessments is not enough: explicit attention in training students in these strategies is still the missing link. Students seldom get training and practice in the development of assessment strategies. Analysis of 62 studies showed that selfand peer-assessment can be effective tools to develop competencies needed in the working field (Sluijsmans, Dochy & Moerkerke, 1999). The literature shows that students miss the training in selfand peerassessment. Other studies (Arter & Spandel, 1992; Perkins, 1986) also indicated that students need instruction in selfen peer-assessment, in order to make reliable judgements. Selfand peer-assessment are complex skills which need to be trained. The main purpose of the current research project is to design tools which can be helpful in training learners to become professionals in the skill to self-assess and peer-assess.To develop the skills and competencies required in professional organisations, students have to reflect on their own behaviour and that of their peers. In the past, a shift could be observed from a static view to learning and intelligence to questions about how differences in complex skills of students could be described and trained. The assumption that selfand peer-assessment strategies are important in order to solve complex problems is widely acknowledged in education in so far, but giving students opportunities to carry out selfand peer-assessments is not enough: explicit attention in training students in these strategies is still the missing link. Students seldom get training and practice in the development of assessment strategies. Analysis of 62 studies showed that selfand peer-assessment can be effective tools to develop competencies needed in the working field (Sluijsmans, Dochy & Moerkerke, 1999). The literature shows that students miss the training in selfand peerassessment. Other studies (Arter & Spandel, 1992; Perkins, 1986) also indicated that students need instruction in selfen peer-assessment, in order to make reliable judgements. Selfand peer-assessment are complex skills which need to be trained. The main purpose of the current research project is to design tools which can be helpful in training learners to become professionals in the skill to self-assess and peer-assess.