Peer Assessment Increases Student Learning

• Activity Number: 567
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 6, 2014 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Dennis Sun*+
• Companies: Stanford University
• Keywords: peer assessment ; education ; experiment ; grading

Abstract

Peer assessment is the practice of having students grade one another. Its logistical benefits are obvious, making it possible for instructors to provide students with feedback quickly. A more interesting question is whether it has pedagogical benefits as well. Many theories exist as to why peer assessment should have a positive effect on student learning -- it represents another pass through the material, and it forces students to think critically about different approaches. However, this effect has never been demonstrated in practice. To investigate this question, we conducted a randomized crossover experiment in a large introductory statistics course. Students were randomized to participate in peer assessment or not at various points throughout the course. We found that peer assessment is associated with a significant increase in student learning, as measured by exam scores.