This document summarizes research into whether peer and self-assessment contribute to ensuring student success. It describes research conducted with a Year 7 robotics class where students built and programmed sumo robots. Observations found that peer and self-assessment allowed groups to successfully complete tasks by modifying their work based on feedback. Research literature also supports the benefits of peer and self-assessment, though notes they require training to be effective. The conclusion is that peer and self-assessment can contribute to student success if implemented properly with an understanding of their purpose and strategies.

1. Amy De Martin – S0120260

2. Assessment Concept
 Does peer and self-assessment
contribute to ensuring student success?
 Dimension 4 - Investigation

3. Research Information – Concept
and Scenario – Year 7 Robotics
Class
 Concept: evaluation of the use of peer and self-assessment to
ensure student success.
 Scenario: observe students utilising peer and self-assessment
techniques. Record observations. Written documentation only.
Permission from all parents for image or written documentation of
student work could not be obtained, images/video of robots allowed.
 Students were required to build and program a sumo robot. The
challenge is for the robot to be able to push another robot out of the
sumo circle. Requirements: 1. for the build to have a shield
somewhere on the body that is a minimum of 15cm, a light sensor
must be attached and functioning and that there are no hammers,
claws or other add-ons that could damage another robot. Pushing is
the only way to win. 2. the programming must be able to keep the
robot in the sumo circle. The circle is white with a black boarder
therefore the use of the light sensor is vital to ensure the robot is not
disqualified by leaving the circle.

4. Research Information – observed (known)– Year 7
Robotics Class
 In forming groups, due to previous robotics experience, students ensured that their
group included people with skills in building, programming and ideas. This links to
the self assessment of prior learning/experience and what types of people and skills
are needed to complete tasks successfully.
 In building, programming and test runs, students were witnessed having meetings,
sharing knowledge, discussing what was asked of them in the task and how the
successful group/s interpreted the criteria. Ideas and suggestions were exchanged
and modifications made. Due to self and peer assessment of the task work being
completed, groups whether highly capable or struggling with robotics, were able to
successfully complete the building and programming specifications given, then
complete the assessment set by competing in the sumo challenge.
 Competing against other class groups before defining their robots as finished was
suggested and asked for by the students. When asked why they think this is a good
idea and why they want to do this; their reply was that it would allow them to test out
their program and robot against another group, ensuring no further modifications are
needed. This questioning and reasoning process shows that there is an
understanding of the value and use of peer and self-assessment in task work.

5. Research Information – observed (known)– Year 7 Robotics
Class
 Images of building robots after peer and self-
assessment
All images
sourced from my
computer and
taken with
permission of
students/parents
/teacher.

6. Research Information – observed (known)– Year 7 Robotics
Class
 Video of robot test runs and trials.
Videos sourced from my
computer, taken and
displayed with
student/parent/teacher
permission.

7. Research information – observed
(misconceptions) – Year 7 Robotics
Class
 Students in the robotics class were observed to have the following misconceptions
regarding peer and self-assessment:
1. Peer and self-assessment was something none of them had ever done. That it is
something completely different to learning strategies previously engaged in such
as feedback, task discussion and question/answer time.
2. When asked about strategies such as idea discussion and questioning of other
students for task insight and whether this was something they had done before;
the students assumed that talking to other students to exchange ideas, broaden
thinking and check correct understanding of the task were all strategies that
either were not allowed (within assessment tasks) or are not peer/self-
assessment.
3. Peer and self-assessment was initially thought of as something done in an
assessment and not processes or strategies that can be incorporated into their
learning for class or assessment tasks to ensure student success.

8. Resolution - Does peer and self-assessment contribute to
ensuring student success? Regarding research conducted with
Year 7 Robotics class.
From observations and questioning completed in this class, peer and self-assessment
does indeed contribute to ensuring student success. If the students did not continually
assess their own and others‟ work and then discuss the successful robots, no groups
would have then modified their work, leading to most of the groups not being able to
successfully complete the assessment by having a working robot for the sumo
challenge.
Below are videos from Mr Parson the Principle and Year 7 teacher, and from Mitchell
Parson a student from the class answering the question of whether they think peer
and self-assessment contribute to ensuring student success.
Videos sourced from my computer, taken and
displayed with student/parent/teacher permission.

9. Research information– The Power of Feedback by John Hattie
and Helen Timperley (2007)
“Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning
and achievement, but this impact can be either positive or
negative.”(p.82)
 Known  Negative
“When students have the metacognitive “Many students do not seek help
skills of self-assessment, they can evaluate because of perceived threats to self-
their levels of understanding, their effort and esteem or social embarrassment
strategies used on tasks, their attributions (Karabenick & Knapp, 1991; Newman
and opinions of others about their & Schwager, 1993). (p.97)
performance, and their improvement in
relation to their goals and expectations. When feedback draws attention to the
They can also assess their performance self, students try to avoid the risks
relative to others‟ goals and the global involved in tackling challenging
aspects of their performance. As students assignments, to minimize effort, and
become more experienced at self- have a high fear of failure (Black &
assessment, multiple dimensions of Wiliam, 1998) to minimize the risk to
performance can be assessed (Paris & the self.” (p.102)
Cunningham, 1996). Most important,
students know how and when to seek and
receive feedback from others.” (p.95)

10. Research information – Assessment and
Reporting by Laurie Brady and Kerry
Kennedy (2012)
 Self-assessment  Peer assessment
“provides students with “provides students with a range of
motivation through engagement; feedback; it encourages critical
it enables them to monitor appraisal of others‟ work; it uses
performance, identify what external assessment to provide a
assessment criteria mean in model for internal assessment; it
practice, and assume promotes collaboration and
responsibility for their own interpersonal skills; it offers
learning; it develops interactive assessment; it
understanding of strengths and develops appraisal skills for
weaknesses; and it provides future life; it enhances validity by
teachers with assessments that using multiple assessors (peer
complement the more traditional and teacher); and it promotes the
teacher-imposed assessments.” view that assessment is an
(p. 85) ongoing and integral part of
teaching and learning.” (p. 85)
Though no real negative aspects to use of peer and self-assessment strategies was found in
this information source Brady and Kennedy (2012) strongly state that, “implementing self- and
peer assessment involves training and support, particularly in relation to promoting the value of
reflection, developing explicit criteria, setting targets and providing practice.” (p. 85)

11. Research information – Assessing Learning in
Australian Universities by James, R., McInnis,
C. and Devlin, M. (2002)
 Known  Negative
“Peer learning can improve the overall “Lack of perceived relevance, lack of clear
quality of student learning - Students learn objectives - Students are sometimes not
from each other and benefit from activities clear about the learning benefits of group
that require them to articulate and test their work and group assessment and are
knowledge. Group work provides an sometimes ill equipped or under-skilled for
opportunity for students to clarify and refine such work.
their understanding of concepts through
Inequity of contribution - One of the
discussion and rehearsal with peers.
strongest concerns that students have
Group work can help develop specific about group work is the possibility that
generic skills sought by employers - Group group assessment practices may not fairly
work can facilitate the development of skills, assess individual contributions.” (p.3)
which include: teamwork skills; analytical
and cognitive skills; collaborative skills;
organisational and time management skills.”
(p. 2)

12. Research information - Using self and peer
assessment for professional and team skill
development: do well functioning teams experience
the benefits? By Keith Willey and Anne Gardener
(2008)
 Known  Negative
“Rust et al. (2005 pg. 243) “Feedback is often
reports „that of the whole provided long after the
assessment process, the assessable work has been
research literature is clear completed at which time
that feedback is arguably students may no longer be
the most important part in interested, instead being
its potential to affect future focused on the next
learning and student assessment task. Hence
achievement.” (p. 2) for feedback to be
productive and used for
student reflection, it must
be both timely and
focused.” (p. 2)

13. Resolution - Does peer and self-assessment
contribute to ensuring student success?
Regarding research information collected from
reliable sources.
 From the aforementioned research information
collected it can be stated that peer and self-assessment
does contribute to ensuring student success.
 However, it is vitally important that to be effective
students and teachers alike must understand what peer
and self-assessment is and the strategies that can be
employed for their use and how to use the strategies
effectively. If students are not informed of how to
engage in peer and self-assessment nor its benefits
then it can be said that peer and self-assessment will
not contribute to ensuring student success.

14. Resolution – answer to the concept
question Does peer and self-assessment
contribute to ensuring student success?
In conclusion, assessing the research information investigated from both
the investigation into the Year 7 Robotic Class and the other reliable
sources; it can be concluded that yes, peer and self-assessment contribute
to ensuring student success, providing effective teaching and learning
strategies are implemented for their use.
Peer and self-assessment are vital to student learning in class tasks and
assessment work. The Queensland Studies Authority (2009) has stated that
“Australian education ministers have made the following commitment to
assessment of student achievement: assessment as learning - enabling
students to reflect on and monitor their own progress to inform their future
learning goals.” (p. 4) This is because as explained by the National
Academy of Science (2000) “Strong learners can explain strategies they
used to solve a problem and why, while less competent students monitor
their own thinking sporadically and ineffectively.” (Cited in ACT Education
and Training (n.d))

15. References