Nutbeam and Bauman 2006 Trochim 2006

KEATS Discussion forums:

Discussion forums can be used in variety of ways. The most common peer activity is when students ask questions and advice from each other about an assignment. A more formalised method of using forums is for students to upload a short section of their work to a forum to create a thread and students comment on that work. This works best when a small number of students are allocated to a group to comment on each other’s work. It is easy to set up groups in KEATS forums, (see CTEL’s help page) and students can manually enrol themselves or teachers can pre-allocate groups. Peer evaluation is the process whereby students critique the performances of other students. A peer evaluation format emphasizes skills, encourages involvement, focuses on learning, establishes a reference, promotes excellence, provides increased feedback, fosters attendance, and teaches responsibility. The process of peer evaluation is explained, the criteria are specified, the training for use is described, and how standards are maintained is explained. Finally, objections are suggested and addressed. Peer evaluation is a unique, controlled, and precise form of classroom evaluation that involves carefully constructed evaluation instruments, structured classroom situations, and exact evaluative assessments. Peer evaluation is a new and different form of evaluation. Peer evaluation is an integral part of Team-Based Learning that leads to an environment wherein students not only help each other improve but also deeply reflect on their own work. But, what are the specific advantages that peer evaluation brings to the table in a Team-Based Learning context? We outline the 5 most important benefits in this post.

Key Benefits

1. 
   Judgment by peers is a good motivator
   
2. 
   Group cohesion
   
3. 
   Students improve by assessing each other’s work
   
4. 
   Opportunity to improve
   
5. 
   Better informed grade