Self and Peer Assessments

The Self and Peer Assessment tool provides a way for students to constructively critique their own work and the work of their peers.  Giving and receiving feedback about their work will give students insight into their own efforts, and instigate the feeling of belonging in an educational community.

How it works

Self and Peer Assessments are a multi-part process, based on successive events.

1. The instructor creates a Self and Peer Assessment Assignment
2. The assignment is completed by the students
3. The students perform assessment of their own work and others'
4. The students view the results of their assessments
5. The instructor reviews the assessments and can send the results (grades) to the Grade Center

Creating a Self and Peer Assessment

• Click the Control Panel button
• Under Content Areas, click the section in which you wish to add a Self and Peer Assessment
• Click the drop down menu next to and pull down to Self and Peer Assessment
• Click Go
• Enter a name for the Self and Peer Assessment

OR

• Click Edit View in the content area in which you wish to add a Self and Peer Assessments
• Click the drop down menu next to and pull down to Self and Peer Assessment
• Click Go
• Enter a name for the Self and Peer Assessment

Fill in the Dates
It is necessary to pay special attention to the dates when filling out the Self and Peer Assessments.  It is an assignment that is based on successive events that the Course Management System cycles through based on the instructor's input. 

1. Fill in the Submission Dates.  This is the period of time the students will have to complete and upload the assignments.
2. Fill in the Evaluation Dates.  When this period begins, the students' assignments will be randomly distributed to other students within the course.  During the Evaluation Phase, the students will review each others' work and provide feedback and assign points.  It is not possible to return to the Submission phase after the Evaluation phase begins.  When the Evaluation Phase is completed, students will be able to see the comments and scores allotted to them by their classmates.

Set Parameters
After carefully filling in the dates for the Self and Peer Assessments, choose Yes or No for the following options:

• Allow Anonymous Evaluation
• Allow Self Evaluation
• Show Evaluation Results to Submitter
• Enter the "Number of Submissions to Evaluate", excluding self evaluations.  So, if the instructor selected "Yes" for "Allow Self Evaluation" and they with the students to complete 3 evaluations including a self evaluation, s/he should enter "2" in the text box.
• Press Submit

Add Questions
After you create the over all assessment, it is necessary to include question(s) for the students.  This area is quite flexible - the instructor can add a series of questions, or just add one question, instructing the student to upload a document with a paper or a story.  They can also instruct students to upload a Powerpoint relating to a presentation for peer evaluation. 

• Locate the Self and Peer Assessment within the content area you chose
• Click "Modify"
• Select Assessment Canvas
• Click the Add Question button
• Enter the question
• If desired, add a Model Response.  The Model Response is only visible during the Evaluation phase, to be used as a point of comparison.  It is not necessary to include a Model Response. 
• If desired, add additional questions

Add Criteria

• Click the Criteria button next to the question
• Click the Add Criteria Button
• Enter criteria for the students to consider when completing their evaluations
• Enter the possible total points for the assignment (Points will be averaged in the Grade Center)
• Select whether points are "All or Nothing" or if "Partial Credit" can be given
• Select Yes or Not to "Allow Feedback to User"
• Press Submit

Preview Student View
To preview the student's view of the Self and Peer Assessment, return to the Assessment Canvas (the place where you Add Questions).  Next to "Add Preview" , select "Submission" or "Evaluation" and press Go. 

Following the Progress of the Self and Peer Assessment

The instructor can follow the progress of the Self and Peer Assessment through each phase of the assignment.

• Go to the Control Panel
• Select Self and Peer Assessment
• Select the correct assignment
• Choose the required phase