Evaluation of the usefulness of self-assessment, peer assessment and academic feedback mechanisms

Abstract

This exploratory quantitative case study examined students' perceptions of the usefulness of assessment feedback provided by academics using ReMarksPDF, student self-assessment and student peer assessment. ReMarksPDF is an enterprise level e-marking system designed by the author integrated with Blackboard 9.1 and Moodle 2.1 - see www.remarkspdf.com. The ReMarksPDF workflow includes e-submission, allocation to markers, marking, moderation, and return of annotated PDF assessment submissions to students and marks into Grade Center. A summary is presented of the positive and negative aspects of different types of feedback annotations and how feedback may be improved. 78.7% of students found ReMarksPDF feedback better than that they have received in the past and 70.2% of students agreed or strongly agreed that other courses should adopt the ReMarksPDF system. Students found written comments, text boxes, assessment rubric, underlining, ticks, colour coding, spider chart (with average), spider chart, and smileys to be significantly valuable feedback in that order of preference. Students indicated that ReMarksPDF feedback was easy to read and understand, it was beneficial to have comments appear in a side column note and to have a visual breakdown of results according to assessment criteria. Students were ambivalent about inclusion of either audio or video comments and did not prefer audio to written comments. Students appear to prefer text-based rather than more abstract presentations of feedback. Students who completed a self-assessment rubric or peer assessment rubric reported that this assisted in their understanding of the associated marking rubric and the results they received for their assessment. In contrast, students who received a peer assessment and also completed a self-assessment rubric were negative in their assessment of whether these two measures in concert assisted in their understanding of the marking rubric and the results they received for their assessment. There was only a weak level of accuracy in student self-assessment and peer-assessment ability compared with professional marking. E-marking software, such as ReMarksPDF, will have a positive effect on student engagement and perceptions of feedback mechanisms by enabling markers to efficiently provide detailed individual feedback, outlining strengths and weaknesses of the student assessment submission and avenues for self-improvement.