SWDYT: So What Do You Think? Canadian students’ attitudes about peerScholar, an online peer-assessment tool

• Published in: Learning environments research Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 33 - 45
• Main Authors: Collimore, Lisa-Marie, Paré, Dwayne E., Joordens, Steve
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.04.2015; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Canada; Computer Software; Education; Educational evaluation; Educational Technology; Evaluation Methods; Foreign Countries; High School Students; Language Skills; Learner Engagement; Learning and Instruction; Learning Strategies; Middle School Students; Original Paper; Outcomes of Education; Peer Evaluation; Peers; Positive Attitudes; Questionnaires; Secondary school students; Sociology of Education; Student Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Canada; Teaching/learning strategies; Interactive learning environments; Elementary education; Secondary education; Media in education; Computer-mediated communication
• ISSN: 1387-1579; 1573-1855
• DOI: 10.1007/s10984-014-9170-1

Middle- and high-school students’ attitudes towards online peer-assessment were described and examined in this study. One hundred and eighty-four (184) students answered a 16-item questionnaire about their experiences with an online peer-assessment tool called peerScholar. Overall, students in Canada converged with those in other countries with respect to attitude. That is, Canadian students tended to have a positive attitude towards the implementation of online peer-assessment in their classrooms. Additionally, students reported that they found the peer-assessment process helpful and that they felt that they benefited from the process. Unlike previous studies, students from a wider range of grade levels and subject areas were questioned. Directions for future studies that involve the peer-assessment process in the school system are discussed.