Fill In The Blanks

Question

Text 4: Effectiveness of peer assessments

The shift in the last few decades to online and blended modes of learning in higher education has created a need to examine how effective learning strategies in ‘traditional’ face-to-face learning environments can be translated and adapted (Gikandi et al., 2011). In particular, while existing research on student learning underscores the value of peer and self-assessment activities as a major way to achieve assessment literacy, research in this area is lacking on three aspects: 1) how can peer/self-assessment activities be translated to the online environment (Broadbent & Poon, 2015); 2) how do students coming from cultural and educational backgrounds where both online learning and peer/self-assessment activities are new react to engaging with such activities; and 3) to what extent can the same type of peer/self-assessment activities be used at different student levels?

Our results show that irrespective of level of study, student performance is enhanced by participation in these activities and that student engagement with, reflection on, and awareness of the benefits of these activities for their own learning is enhanced. When we take into account that students enrolling in USP usually come in from schools in the PICs where learning is predominantly face-to-face and utilizes approaches that do not usually support skills related to peer-learning and self-assessment, the success of this activity for these outcomes in the PS103 course is especially promising in supporting development of assessment literacy skills in the online learning environment and as such facilitating the development of independent learning by students. Often academic staff are concerned about the use of peer assessment because they worry about students’ ability to assess using external criteria and limit bias (Azarnoosh, 2013; Matsuno, 2009; Cho, Schunn, & Wilson, 2006). The kind of peer assessment activity described here shows that students are able to both assess other students’ work using a rubric, as well as learn to self-assess and improve their own work using the peer assessment process. Moreover, this kind of activity, in which students are utilizing skills of peer assessment for learning (and not grading a peer), should also allay the concerns staff may have about student ability.

Question

Complete the gaps in the following summary of the text, using ONE word COPIED EXACTLY from the text.



Since online and blended learning has become so common, it is important to consider how we can adapt effective learning strategies from face-to-face contexts. We know from prior research that peer and self-assessment activities are valuable, but we have previously been ________ an understanding of the way such activities work online. The current study shows that both course achievement and engagement with such learning strategies are _______ by opportunities to complete peer and self-assessment tasks. These findings are particularly _________ given that so many USP students are new to online learning and therefore need help developing the skills needed as _________ learners. Many academics may underestimate students’ abilities to conduct peer and self-assessment activities, but the findings of this study may help to _________ these worries.

Answer 1

To complete the gaps read carefully the text and add the following words in this order.

1) lacking

2) enhanced

3) promising

4) independent

5) allay