Assessing Peer Performance in PBL Groups:

how technology can help

Carolyn K. Manning

Associate Professor

Dept of Health, Nutrition & Exercise Sciences

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

USA

Objectives

1. Describe strengths & weaknesses of an online peer evaluation tool

2. Implement an online peer evaluation tool in your teaching activities

Questions for the audience

1. How many of you include peer evaluation in your course requirements?

2. Do you use this model: Mid-semester

• give numerical score/grade & comments• award points toward final grade

End of semester• award points toward final grade

3. What has been your experience with peer evaluations?

? Paper form? Time

Feedback: calculations, compiling comments

? Quality

Questions for the audience

A peer evaluation process needs to be:

• Easy for students to do in a meaningful & confidential manner

• Easy for the instructor to provide feedback in a confidential manner

• Timely

Peer evaluation process:Paper form

• 3 sections (see handout)– Evaluation scale & Criteria for evaluation– Individual:

• group member names & numerical scores• supporting comments• specific strength

– Group:• strength• weakness & strategy to overcome

Paper form

Advantages1. Easy to implement (instructor)

2. Somewhat easy for students to complete

Paper form

Disadvantages1. Lots of paper to collect & keep track of

(instructor & student)2. Time consuming (instructor) due to manual:

• tabulations & compilations of comments

3. Quality of evaluations:• Comments (limited space, superficial)• Inflated numeric scores

Peer evaluation process:Online form

• Information Resource Consultant III: John Hall

• “Quiz” tool in WebCT (see handout)

Online form

• Sections:– Individual performance

• letter grade• comments:

– strength and/or weakness

• specific to research & writing skills

– Group performance• strength• weakness & strategy

Online form(see handout)

Online formAdvantages

1. Quality (see handout)

– No space restrictions for comments

2. Easy for students– Time spent

3. Easy to track student participation

4. Printed summary reports (see handout)

Online form

Disadvantages1. Evaluation criteria not listed2. Instructor time

– Printing reports (~1 hour 5 min for 42 students in 9 PBL groups)

– Compiling comments & grade into written feedback for each student (see handout)

Comments?

Questions?

What I learned

• Online form facilitates the peer evaluation process– More depth by students in supporting

comments– Printed individual feedback for each

student

How can you have an online peer evaluation form?

• PBL WebCT Quiz Generator (see handout)

– Download : http://udel.edu/~hall/webct/pblgen

– Need IT help