Assessment is a tool for learning, but traditional assessment methods often encourage surface learning, rather than deep learning which is an approach to developing higher cognitive skills. Peer assessment is one of the successful approaches which can be used to enhance deep learning. It is a method of motivating students, involving students discussing, marking and providing feedback on other students' work. Although it is often used in the context of essays, it has seldom been applied to computer programming courses. The skill of writing good software includes understanding of different approaches to the task, and stylistic and related considerations - these can be developed by evaluation of other programmers' solutions.

As part of a study investigating the extent that peer assessment can promote deep learning in a programming course, a novel web-based peer assessment tool has been developed.

• The process used is novel, since students are engaged not only in marking each other's work, but also in evaluating the quality of marking of their peers.
• This system is designed to provide anonymity for the whole process, in order to ensure the process is fair, and to encourage students to discuss without embarrassment by using an anonymous communication device (ACD) in a variety of roles (script authors, marker, and feedback marker).

Publications

Sitthiworachart, J. and Joy, M.S. (2008) Computer Support of Effective Peer Assessment in an Undergraduate Programming Class. Journal of Computer-Assisted Learning, 24 (3). pp. 217-231. [PDF] (BibTeX)

Sitthiworachart, J. and Joy, M.S. (2004) Effective Peer Assessment for Learning Computer Programming. In: 9th Annual Conference on the Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE 2004), 28-30 Jun 2004, Leeds, UK. [PDF] (BibTeX)

Sitthiworachart, J. and Joy, M.S. (2004) The Evaluation of Students’ Marking in Web-based Peer Assessment of Learning Computer Programming. In: International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE 2004), 30 Nov - 3 Dec 2004, Melbourne, Australia. [PDF] (BibTeX)

Sitthiworachart, J. and Joy, M.S. (2004) Using Web-based Peer Assessment in Fostering Deep Learning in Computer Programming. In: International Conference on Education and Information Systems, Technologies and Applications (EISTA 2004), 21-24 Jul 2004, Orlando, FL. [PDF] (BibTeX)

Sitthiworachart, J. and Joy, M.S. (2004) Web-based Peer Assessment System with an Anonymous Communication Tool. In: 4th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT2004), Joensuu, Finland. [PDF] (BibTeX)

Ward, A. and Sitthiworachart, J. and Joy, M.S. (2004) Aspects of Web-based Peer Assessment Systems for Teaching and Learning Computer Programming. In: 3rd IASTED International Conference on Web-based Education (WBE 2004), 16-18 Feb 2004, Innsbruck, Austria. [PDF] (BibTeX)

Sitthiworachart, J. and Joy, M.S. (2003) Deepening Computer Programming Skills by Using Web-based Peer Assessment. In: 4th Annual Conference of the LTSN Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, 26-28 August 2003, Galway, Eire. [PDF] (BibTeX)

Sitthiworachart, J. and Joy, M.S. (2003) Web-based Peer Assessment in Learning Computer Programming. In: 3rd IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT 2003), 9-11 Jul 2003, Athens, Greece. [PDF] (BibTeX)

Bhalerao, A.H. and Ward, A. (2001) Towards Electronically Assisted Peer Assessment: A Case Study. ALT-J: research in learning technology, 9 (1). pp. 26-37. ISSN 0968-7769 (print) 1741-1629 (online) [PDF] (BibTeX)