International Postgraduate Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of Peer Assessment in a UK University: A Case Study

Abstract

Internationalization of the curriculum has become the subject of a significant body of research and debate, and demands new ways of teaching, learning and assessment in higher education (Ryan, 2013). Since Ecclestone and Pryor (2003) indicated the impacts of assessment on learner identity, this study investigates postgraduate international students' experiences of an innovative assessment approach, ‗peer assessment', to provide a new perspective from which to perceive the implications of assessment for internationalization of the curriculum. This empirical case study research focuses on five postgraduate taught modules (Business, Education A, Education B, Chemical Engineering and Computer Science) in a UK university in two academic years (2010-2011 and 2011-2012). The study uses a qualitative dominant mixed methods approach with four data collection techniques, including interviews, questionnaires, observation and diamond ranking. The research has identified

Staff’s Practice of Peer Assessment in the International Classroom in UK HE

“…Hence, it would be beneficial that staff explicitly discuss and exemplify the value and relevance of PA to future tasks before PA and have constructive talks with students about feedback after PA. In addition, staff who are interested in empowering students may find that it is particularly helpful to focus on the process of formative assessment and use dialogic talk [9].…”

“…Through involving students in marking and/or feedback on the work of other students, PA has the potential to engage students in assessment in order to make a fundamental contribution to students' personal development [8]. We suggest that PA can be an approach to internationalize the curriculum, as it provides an opportunity for students to participate in the assessment process through evaluating the work of their peers' and acquiring new knowledge about other cultures and countries through open discussion [9]. This paper is part of our project on international students' (ISs') perceptions and experiences of PA, aiming to discuss practice of PA in the international classroom from staff perspective.…”