Peer assessment of, for and as learning: a core component of an accredited professional development course for Higher Education teachers

Abstract

A core competence associated with effective teaching in Higher Education is self-awareness and is associated with reflective practice, an active process of learning and teaching development. Through reflection, teachers can gain insight into personal strengths and limitations which consequently can be of benefit when focusing on enhancing the knowledge, skills and dispositions of their learners. This study concerns an accredited programme for the professional development of teachers in Higher Education, developed for both experienced and novice teachers to learn new skills and share existing ideas. The design of the programme ensures that peer assessment and feedback are embedded to support assessment of, for and as learning. This study examines the perceived value of peer assessment and feedback in relation to learning from the perspectives of both learners enrolled on the programme and the academic programme team. Attention is paid to how the use of peer assessment and feedback has impacted on the learning experience of teachers and a conceptual model is proposed as to how peer assessment and feedback can be effectively used as a method of assessment of, for and as learning.