Formative Peer Assessment of Academic Writing Between Postgraduate Students

TLDR

The study aims to outline actionable implications of peer assessment in academic writing. Twelve postgraduate educational psychology students performed reciprocal paired qualitative formative peer assessments of academic writing. Staff and peer assessments largely agreed overall, yet only about half of detailed comments overlapped; students reported the process was demanding yet improved writing quality and transferable skills, and the method showed adequate reliability and validity, indicating triangulation adds value though generalisation should be cautious.

Abstract

Reciprocal paired qualitative formative peer assessment of academic writing was undertaken by 12 postgraduate students of educational psychology. Overall, staff and peer assessments showed a very similar balance between positive and negative statements, but this varied according to assessment criterion. However, only half of all detailed formative assessment statements made showed some degree of correspondence between staff and peers. Nevertheless, there was very little evidence of conflict between the views of staff and peers-rather, they focused on different details. Subjective feedback from students indicated that most found the process time consuming, intellectually challenging and socially uncomfortable, but effective in improving the quality of their own subsequent written work and developing other transferable skills. The reliability and validity of this type of peer assessment thus appeared adequate, and the partiality of overlap in detail between staff and peer assessments suggested that the triangulation peer assessment offers is likely to add value. However, caution is indicated regarding the generalisation of this finding. Implications for action are outlined.