Nuances of Effective Peer Assessment in Higher Education

Abstract

Peer Assessment (PA) is increasingly recognized as a valuable pedagogical tool in higher education, fostering critical thinking, engagement, and a deeper understanding of evaluation among students. This report explores various facets of PA; from how it impacts educators' workload and its effectiveness in fostering learning-centered assessment, to how it is impacted by cultural differences and assessment literacy. The report also addresses practical considerations involved in implementing PA, examining the benefits of various formats and configurations with regards to anonymity, group feedback and personal contact. The report brings together a variety of perspectives from the literature on effective implementation of PA in higher education, which are complemented with personal reflections from the authors' educational experiences from different fields and countries. These conclusions are later brought to bear on the case of a specific course at LTH, and could have broader value for the faculty at large as issues arising from heterogeneity in terms of cultural backgrounds, educational experiences and expectations pose challenges for both students and educators in undertaking PA.