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The research around group work and assessment tells us that these two strategies pair well together, both group work and peer assessment. You might use group work without peer assessment and rely solely on self-assessment and instructor-led assessment strategies. Or you might want to have independent tasks that are peer assessed. But when we put these two strategies together, we’re taking advantage of both strategies. The question I have for you in this lesson is how might scaffolding assessment through group work support learner and educator goals.
When we’re trying to support learners moving through a process, breaking it into chunks and providing the stepping stones to build up to the skill is extremely important. Advantages of group work: the sum is greater than the parts. We have more brains working together, different experiences and backgrounds that can build off of each other as they go through the work. We gain awareness of our own biases and perspectives by listening to others. And the reality is that working in other contexts require us to work collaboratively.
Obviously there are disadvantages. There can be conformity if there are big voices in the room. Some students might be a bit of a bully and are trying to direct the work in a more personal-oriented way. And there might be inequity in how students each contribute to the work. So by implementing peer assessment and scaffolding the learning, we can help design for experiences where students don’t experience that. Or, at least mitigate it. Double et al. note that scaffolding has been shown to both improve the quality of peer assessment and increase the amount of feedback that assessors gave. So if we can provide the tools to help support good feedback, then we can help create the conditions for good group work learning.
Research indicates that effective group work assessment requires clear criteria and alignment with learning outcomes. Tools such as rubrics, checklists, and rating scales can help make the assessment process transparent and manageable (Double et al., 2020). Studies also highlight the importance of formative assessment (to measure learning throughout the learning process) to provide ongoing feedback and support student development. Additionally, involving students in the assessment process through self- and peer-evaluations can enhance their reflective skills and accountability.
Group work can be enhanced by integrating peer assessment into the process. To effectively implement peer assessment into group work, the research suggests using scaffolding (breaking tasks into manageable units) techniques, for example, using rubrics, and scoring scripts. “Scaffolding has been shown to improve both the quality peer assessment and increase the amount of feedback assessors provide (Peters, Körndle & Narciss, 2018). Peer assessment has also been shown to be more accurate when rubrics are utilised. For example, Panadero, Romero, & Strijbos (2013) found that students were less likely to overscore their peers.” (Double et al., 2020, 485)
According to Burke (2011:88) there are six advantages to working in a group:
- “Groups have more information than a single individual. Groups have a greater well of resources to tap and more information available because of the variety of backgrounds and experiences.
- Groups stimulate creativity.
- People remember group discussions better. Students working in small groups have a tendency to learn more of what is taught and retain it longer than when the same material is presented in other instructional formats (Barkley, Cross & Major, 2005; Davis, 1993).
- Decisions that students help make yield greater satisfaction. Research suggests that students who are engaged in group problem solving are more committed to the solution and are better satisfied with their participation in the group than those who were not involved.
- Students gain a better understanding of themselves. Group work allows people to gain a more accurate picture of how others see them. The feedback that they receive may help them better evaluate their interpersonal behavior.
- Teamwork is highly valued by employers. Well-developed interpersonal skills were listed by employers among the top 10 skills sought after in university graduates (Graduate Outlook Survey, 2010).”
Although working in groups has its advantages, there are also times when problems arise. Beebe and Masterson (2003) list three disadvantages:
- “There may be pressure from the group to conform to the majority opinion. Most people do not like conflict and attempt to avoid it when possible. By readily acquiescing to the majority opinion, the individual may agree to a bad solution just to avoid conflict.
- An individual may dominate the discussion. This leads to members not gaining satisfaction from the group because they feel too alienated in the decision-making process.
- Some members may rely too heavily on others to do the work. This is one of the most salient problems that face groups. Some members do not pitch in and help and do not adequately contribute to the group (Freeman & Greenacre, 2011). One solution to this problem is to make every group member aware of the goals and objectives of the group and assign specific tasks or responsibilities to each member.” (2011, page 88)
When assessing group work, emphasize the advantages through learning outcomes and products, and design the process to mitigate the disadvantages. Arnold et at (2019:24) describe: “focus on aspects such as professional conduct, work ethic, communication, contribution to the work or of ideas, integration of feedback, physical skills, use of equipment or other process related activities although these depend upon the types of competences reflected in the module learning outcomes (LO). In assessing the product such as constructed objects, written reports or other academic products such as videos or posters, you need to consider the aspects of the product that can demonstrate the accomplishment of the LOs outlined during the design of your module. Do not focus merely on grading the characteristics of the product itself (attractiveness, length, or size, etc.), this may not in itself be a learning outcome.”
- Arnold, C., Carroll, D., van Dellen, W., Fastré, G., Jansen, W., Lutgens, G., van der Meer, N., Nederkoorn, S., & Nijhuis, J. (2019). Assessing the individual contribution in groupwork: A Maastricht University guide. EDLAB.
- Carroll, D., Jansen, W., & Lutgens, G. (Eds.). Burke, A. (2011). Group work: How to use groups effectively. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 11(2), 87–95.
- Barkley, C., Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2005). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco; Jossey-Bass Publishers.
- Davis, B. G. (1993). Tools for Teaching. Jossey-Bass Inc., San Francisco: California
- Double, K. S., McGrane, J. A., & Hopfenbeck, T. N. (2020). The impact of peer assessment on academic performance: A meta-analysis of control group studies. Educational Psychology Review, 32(2), 481–509.
- Freeman, L., & Greenacre, L. (2010). An Examination of Socially Destructive Behaviors in Group Work. Journal of Marketing Education, 33(1), 5-17. (Original work published 2011)
- Panadero, E., & Jonsson, A. (2013). The use of scoring rubrics for formative assessment purposes revisited: A review. Educational Research Review, 13(9), 129–144.
- Peters, O., Körndle, H., & Narciss, S. (2018). Effects of a formative assessment script on how vocational students generate formative feedback to a peer’s or their own performance. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 33(1), 117–143.
Discussions
How might scaffolding assessment throughout group work support learner and educator goals?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.