Why are self and peer assessments important?
Self and peer assessment is important, especially with older children, as it gives children more control of their learning. Through self assessing children begin to reflect and evaluate and 'reflection and evaluation can encourage understanding of what is expected, improve motivation, lead to pride in positive achievement and offer a realistic appraisal of weaknesses' (Towler and Broadfoot, 1992:138). Children can then gain a better understanding of what makes a good piece of work and how to critically reflect on their work.
How can sharing the success criteria help with self and peer assessment?
In order for children to be able to self and peer assess they must know the learning objectives and success criteria. Whether children are self-assessing during the lesson or not, the learning objective and success criteria should always be shared with children at the beginning of a lesson or activity. 'Low achievement is often the result of students failing to understand what teachers require of them (Black & Wiliam, 1998, cited in Leahy, Lyon, Thompson and William, 2005:20). Through sharing the success criteria and learning objectives with children then it helps to ensure that children know what is expected of them. It also helps children understand the criteria in which their work will be marked and can allow them to start reflecting on their work in order to assess it. The learning intentions should then be revised at the end of the lesson and children should be given time to state what they have learned in relation to the learning intention (Hall, 2007, cited in Moyles, 2007:201). Through reiterating the learning intention and success criteria throughout the lesson it reminds the children what they will be learning or what they have learnt.
It may be a good idea to put copies of the learning intention and success criteria on each table or give a copy to each child in the class so they have something to mark against when self or peer assessing their work.
It may be a good idea to put copies of the learning intention and success criteria on each table or give a copy to each child in the class so they have something to mark against when self or peer assessing their work.
Examples of self and peer assessment
This is an example of the traffic light system of self assessment. Children can either point to the colour or hold the colour up to demonstrate their understanding of something. From this the class teacher can make notes about what
the children's responses were and why the children chose that
response. These responses can then be used to inform planning.
This is an example of a two stars and a wish template. At the end of the lesson or activity children can fill in this sheet about their own work or one of their peers' work. It can also be used to give written feedback to children on a teacher-pupil basis.