1. Using Peer Assessment in the Design of Online Collaborative Learning Environments
Carolyn Awalt
University of Texas at El Paso
Paul Resta
University of Texas at Austin
Copyright Carolyn Awalt and Paul Resta, This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

2. Focus of Presentation:
Why use peer/self assessments in a collaborative learning environment?
Description of course context
Who creates the assessments?
How do the assessments work?
What are the benefits for the instructor and students?
What future developments are planned?

3. Why use peer/self assessments?
In the collaborative environment, the instructor must reconceptualize his or her role as a 'teacher' and “create a set of opportunities and reward structures that encourage students to look upon their interactions with their peers as valuable resources for learning rather than focusing on memorizing lecture-type material presented by an instructor.”
(Hiltz, S.R. and Benbunan-Fich,R., 1997)

4. Why use peer/self assessments?
Collaborative learning based on understanding that learning is a social process best done in groups.
Need to provide both individual and group accountability in completion of the learning tasks.
Need to establish positive interdependence of group members for successful collaborative learning environments.

5. Why use peer/self assessments?
Collaborative learning cannot be assessed in traditional T-F, multiple choice ways
Collaborative learning involves a process - formative assessment is more suitable
Instructor is better able to monitor and assess work done within the group
Students have a chance to learn how to assess their work in a group over a series of projects
Students have opportunity to use the assessments to help them improve their performance as a group member

6. Description of course context
Students in the online courses came from both the off-campus and on-campus programs
One of the main goals of the courses was to provide authenticity through the use of real-world metaphors for the learning contexts, student roles, project tasks, organization and structure of the virtual learning teams.

7. Student-Centered Learning Environment

8. Description of course context
Students assigned to an online team for duration of course
Students communicate with instructor and among themselves using , online chats and threaded discussion messages to class folders.
Students work together in teams to address complex problems

9. Community as Important as Content
Communities of practice
All are learners, all have the opportunity to contribute to the knowledge of the community
Learning to Be vs. Learning About

10. Group Processes In Community Building
Orientation
Forming
Different Views
Storming
Cohesiveness
Norming
Performing
Flexible
Tuckman (1965)

11. Student Options and Choices
Create opportunities for student choice and input by providing varying assignment
Options to tie projects to personal interests or work

12. Online Collaboration/Teamwork: Skills and knowledge
Able to commit to a shared goal
Able to listen and respond to others in an objective and productive way
Open and honest with one’s ideas, concerns, and values
Able to be a leader as well as a follower
Sensitive to the needs and feelings of other members of the team
Not carrying hidden agendas into team projects and tasks

13. How do the assessments work?
Constructing the norms:
Students given readings on team work
Students identify the 2-3 norms that they think most important
As a team they discuss those and submit the team’s top 3 norms
Class votes online to decide the norms they would like to use
Norms are converted into web-based forms
Instructor indicates norms that must be included
Norms can be added for specific roles in particular projects

14. Example of Student Voting on Norms

15. How do the assessments work?
Peer/Self Assessment Process
Students practice using the assessment tool.
Near middle of a project there is a“How am I doing” exercise to help students’ reflect on group process
At the end of a project, students use the web-based form to evaluate their own efforts and, anonymously, those of others on the same team
Students receive the results of the assessment
Teams reflect on what they did well and what they want to improve

16. Peer Evaluation Forms Example of Self and Peer Evaluation Form
Example of Product Evaluation Rubric

17. Benefits for instructors
Provides multiple levels and types of assessment information
Helps provide information to monitor progress and participation of individual students
Moves from vertical to horizontal communication in class
Share the assessment burden with students
Shift role from information transmitter to learning facilitator

18. Benefits for Students
Dialogue and discussion help students move to deeper levels of understanding
Multiple perspectives
Safe environment for conflict in ideas
Learn to work effectively in high performance learning team
Use assessment standards to judge their own efforts and work in the classroom, online and in their future professional lives.

19. Future Developments Changes in design to include:
Tools to facilitate monitoring and management of virtual learning teams
New displays of peer assessment results