A mixed methods approach to the assessor's targeting behavior during online peer assessment: effects of anonymity and underlying reasons

Abstract

This study examined the effects of identity revelation and concealment on the number of times students' work was assessed in an online peer assessment context. It also examined the underlying reasons guiding the assessor's targeting behavior. Two fifthgrade classes participated. The one-group pretest-posttest experimental research design coupled with qualitative research method was adopted. The results from social network analysis (SNA) showed a high redundancy rate for both high-and lowtargeted assessees in identity-revealed and identity-concealed conditions for both classes. Moreover, the density metrics indicated that all sociograms were similarly sparse. The Wilcoxon tests further confirmed that there were no significant differences in the assessees' ranking in the two conditions for both classes. Finally, analysis of students' self-reflective data revealed that the features/content of the work to be assessed, rather than who the question-author was, was the determining factor when it came to deciding the target for online peer assessment.

Examining Rater Biases of Peer Assessors in Different Assessment Environments

“…Considering the intervals, the difference between the teacher and peer raters was statistically significant in the online and face-to-face assessment environments, but it was insignificant in anonymous assessment. The qualitative data were performed to examine why teachers and peers had similar scoring in anonymous assessment and anonymity was found to be an important factor for this situation, confirming the previous research (Cheng & Tsai, 2012;Chester & Gwynne;Pope, 2005;Yu & Sung, 2016;Vickerman, 2009). Thus, anonymity provides a safe environment for peer raters, which results in fairer assessment as there is no over-scoring (Freeman & McKenzie, 2000;Panadero et al, 2013).…”

“…A conceptual basis regarding the possible effect of anonymity indicates that students' feedback will differ depending on whether their identities as assessors are revealed (Yu & Sung, 2016). Publicly assessing their peers may cause students to feel uncomfortable and experience stress (Pope, 2005).…”

Anonymity as an instructional scaffold in peer assessment: its effects on peer feedback quality and evolution in students’ perceptions about peer assessment skills

“…The theoretical foundations with regard to the possible impact of anonymity imply that students will enact different feedback behavior depending on whether their identity as assessors is revealed (Yu and Sung 2015). It is this approach that the current study adopts, and Yu and Sung (2015) provide two perspectives from social psychology that help to support and contextualize this adoption.…”

“Now you know what you’re doing right and wrong!” Peer feedback quality in synchronous peer assessment in secondary education

“…Peer assessment (PA) is a peer-assisted, collaborative learning arrangement that includes students assessing their fellow students' performance by providing feedback, which could be quantitative in nature (i.e., grades or ratings across assessment criteria) and/or qualitative (written or oral comments) (Topping 1998). The process of assessing and commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of peers' work can help familiarize the assessor with the evaluation criteria and, in this way, help to develop knowledge on what constitutes good work and what needs to be avoided (Yu and Sung 2015). Numerous studies on PA have shown various benefits for the learning process, such as improved student motivation and improved conceptual understanding, communication skills, and self-assessment skills (e.g., Falchikov and Goldfinch 2000;Topping 2009).…”