PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS TOWARDS THE INFLUENCE OF PEER ASSESSMENT ON THEIR COMMUNICATION AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
Main Article Content
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate students’ perception towards the use of peer assessment to improve their employability skills, especially communication and critical thinking skills. To achieve this objective, a survey was conducted with the participation of 226 students at a university in Hanoi, Vietnam. They were taking the course named “Skills for University Success”, in which it was required that students made presentations and gave feedback to other groups’ performances. The analyzed data showed that students highly valued the benefits of giving and receiving peer assessment. In terms of communication skills, the majority of students agreed that through this activity, they could learn and improve their ability to convey the ideas, listen to others, and create a friendly atmosphere while giving comments. Regarding critical thinking skills, peer assessment helped students identify strengths and weaknesses of peers’ performances more quickly and correctly. The study suggested that lecturers or curriculum organizers should consider making this activity compulsory in their courses so that students can boost their employability skills.
Article Details
Keywords
employability skills, peer assessment, assessing peer, critical thinking, communication skills
References
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Chang, S. C., Hsu, T. C., & Jong, M. S. Y. (2020). Integration of the peer assessment approach with a virtual reality design system for learning earth science. Computers and Education, 146, Article 103758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103758
Chien, S. Y., Hwang, G. J., & Jong, M. S. Y. (2020). Effects of peer assessment within the context of spherical video-based virtual reality on EFL students’ English-speaking performance and learning perceptions. Computers and Education, 146, Article 103751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103751
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Hwang, G.-J., Zou, D., & Wu, Y.-X. (2023). Learning by storytelling and critiquing: A peer assessment-enhanced digital storytelling approach to promoting young students’ information literacy, self-efficacy, and critical thinking awareness. Educational Technology Research and Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10184-y
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Jackson, D. (2013). Student perceptions of the importance of employability skill provision in business undergraduate programs. Journal of Education for Business, 88(5), 271–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2012.697928
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Lai, C. Y. (2016). Training nursing students’ communication skills with online video peer assessment. Computers & Education, 97, 21–30.
Li, H., Bialo, J. A., Xiong, Y., Hunter, C. V., & Guo, X. (2021). The effect of peer assessment on non-cognitive outcomes: A meta-analysis. Applied Measurement in Education, 34(3), 179–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/08957347.2021.1933980
Moldovan, L. (2020). A reference framework for continuous improvement of employability assessment. Procedia Manufacturing, 46, 271–278.
Naidu, R., Stanwick, J., & Frazer, K. (2020). Glossary of VET. National Centre for Vocational Education Research.
Nghia, T. L. H. (2018). The skills gap of Vietnamese graduates and final-year university students. Journal of Education and Work, 31(7–8), 579–594. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2018.1559280
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (n.d.). An assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on job and skills demand using online job vacancy data. OECD Publishing.
Pham, H. C. (2021). Enhancing the employability of students undertaking English language and linguistics programs in Vietnam. VNU Journal of Science: Education Research, 38(1), 21-31. https://doi.org/10.25073/2588-1159/vnuer.4588
Pham, T. N., Lin, M., Trinh, V. Q., & Bui, L. T. P. (2020). Electronic peer feedback, EFL academic writing and reflective thinking: Evidence from a Confucian context. SAGE Open, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020914554
Planas-Lladó, A., Feliu, L., Castro, F., Fraguell, R. M., Arbat, G., Pujol, J., Suñol, J. J., & Daunis-i-Estadella, P. (2018). Using peer assessment to evaluate teamwork from a multidisciplinary perspective. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(1), 14–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1274369
Planas Lladó, A., Feliu Soley, L., Fraguell Sansbelló, R. M., Arbat Pujolras, G., Pujol Planella, J., Roura-Pascual, N., Suñol Martínez, J. J., & Montoro Moreno, L. (2014). Student perceptions of peer assessment: An interdisciplinary study. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(5), 592–610. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2013.860077
Poscente, K. (2006). [Book review - The three dimensions of learning: Contemporary learning theory in the tension field between the cognitive, the emotional and the social, by K. Illeris]. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 7(1).
Sanchez, C. E., Atkinson, K. M., Koenka, A. C., Moshontz, H., & Cooper, H. (2017). Self-grading and peer-grading for formative and summative assessments in 3rd through 12th grade classrooms: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(8), 1049-1066.
Saraiva, C., Mamede, H. S., Silveira, M. C., & Nunes, M. (2021). Transforming physical enterprise into a remote organization: Transformation impact: Digital tools, processes and people. In A. Rocha (Ed.), 2021 16th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI) (pp. 1–5). https://doi.org/10.23919/CISTI52073.2021.9476463
Schilirò, D. (2021). Digital transformation, COVID-19, and the future of work. International Journal of Business Management and Economic Research, 12(3), 1945–1952.
Stančić, M. (2021). Peer assessment as a learning and self-assessment tool: A look inside the black box. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(6), 852–864. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1828267
Topping, K. (2021). Peer assessment: Channels of operation. Education Sciences, 11(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030091
The Government of Singapore. (2019). Critical core skills. https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/initiatives/mid-career/criticalcoreskills
U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Common framework for employability skills. Perkins Collaborative Resource Network. https://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/employability-skills-framework
Wanner, T., & Palmer, E. (2018). Formative self-and peer assessment for improved student learning: The crucial factors of design, teacher participation and feedback. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(7), 1032–1047. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1427698
Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: What it is-what it is not (Vol. 1). Higher Education Academy York.
Yu, S. (2019). Learning from giving peer feedback on postgraduate theses: Voices from master’s students in the Macau EFL context. Assessing Writing, 40, 42–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2019.03.004
Zhan, Y. (2021). What matters in design? Cultivating undergraduates’ critical thinking through online peer assessment in a Confucian heritage context. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(4), 615–630. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1804826
Awofala, A. O. A., Olabiyi, O. S., Ogunleye, A., Udeani, U. N., & Fatade, A. O. (2017). School administrators’ perceptions of the employability of preservice science, technology, and mathematics teachers through teaching practice in Nigeria. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), 3(1), 42-55.
Barac, K., Kirstein, M., & Kunz, R. (2021). Using peer review to develop professional competencies: An Ubuntu perspective. Accounting Education, 30(6), 551–577. https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2021.1942089
Boud, D., & Falchikov, N. (2007). Rethinking assessment in higher education. Routledge.
Cao, Z., Yu, S., & Huang, J. (2019). A qualitative inquiry into undergraduates’ learning from giving and receiving peer feedback in L2 writing: Insights from a case study. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 63, 102–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2019.08.001
Capgemini Research Institute. (2020). The future of work: From remote to hybrid. https://www.capgemini.com/wp-content/uploads/022/04/The-Future-of-Work_Final.pdf
Carvalho, A. (2013). Students’ perceptions of fairness in peer assessment: Evidence from a problem-based learning course. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(5), 491–505. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2012.753051
Chang, S. C., Hsu, T. C., & Jong, M. S. Y. (2020). Integration of the peer assessment approach with a virtual reality design system for learning earth science. Computers and Education, 146, Article 103758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103758
Chien, S. Y., Hwang, G. J., & Jong, M. S. Y. (2020). Effects of peer assessment within the context of spherical video-based virtual reality on EFL students’ English-speaking performance and learning perceptions. Computers and Education, 146, Article 103751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103751
Climent, V. F. (2019). Statistical Annex: D1.3.1 Analysis Report “Graduate employment and entrepreneurship in Vietnam”. V2WORK project. Erasmus+ programme. https://www.v2work.eu/sites/default/files/2020-10/D1.3.1%20Graduate%20Employment%20and%20Entrepreneurship%20in%20Vietnam%20Statistical%20Annex.pdf
Cook, D. (2020). The freedom trap: Digital nomads and the use of disciplining practices to manage work/leisure boundaries. Information Technology & Tourism, 22(3), 355-390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00172-4
Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. (2018). Core skills for work developmental framework. Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australia Government. https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-information-training-providers/resources/core-skills-work-developmental-framework
Hogg, L. M. (2018). Empowering students through peer assessment: Interrogating complexities and challenges. Reflective Practice, 19(3), 308–321. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2018.1437404
Huisman, B., Saab, N., van Driel, J., & van den Broek, P. (2020). A questionnaire to assess students’ beliefs about peer-feedback. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 57(3), 328–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2019.1630294
Hwang, G.-J., Zou, D., & Wu, Y.-X. (2023). Learning by storytelling and critiquing: A peer assessment-enhanced digital storytelling approach to promoting young students’ information literacy, self-efficacy, and critical thinking awareness. Educational Technology Research and Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-022-10184-y
Illeris, K. (2002). The three dimensions of learning: Contemporary learning theory in the tension field between the cognitive, the emotional and the social. Roskilde University Press.
Ion, G., Sánchez-Martí, A., & Agud Morell, I. (2019). Giving or receiving feedback: Which is more beneficial to students’ learning? Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(1), 124–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1484881
Jackson, D. (2013). Student perceptions of the importance of employability skill provision in business undergraduate programs. Journal of Education for Business, 88(5), 271–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2012.697928
Jiang, J. P., Hu, J. Y., Zhang, Y. B., & Yin, X. C. (2022). Fostering college students’ critical thinking skills through peer assessment in the knowledge building community. Interactive Learning Environments. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2039949
Lai, C. Y. (2016). Training nursing students’ communication skills with online video peer assessment. Computers & Education, 97, 21–30.
Li, H., Bialo, J. A., Xiong, Y., Hunter, C. V., & Guo, X. (2021). The effect of peer assessment on non-cognitive outcomes: A meta-analysis. Applied Measurement in Education, 34(3), 179–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/08957347.2021.1933980
Moldovan, L. (2020). A reference framework for continuous improvement of employability assessment. Procedia Manufacturing, 46, 271–278.
Naidu, R., Stanwick, J., & Frazer, K. (2020). Glossary of VET. National Centre for Vocational Education Research.
Nghia, T. L. H. (2018). The skills gap of Vietnamese graduates and final-year university students. Journal of Education and Work, 31(7–8), 579–594. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2018.1559280
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (n.d.). An assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on job and skills demand using online job vacancy data. OECD Publishing.
Pham, H. C. (2021). Enhancing the employability of students undertaking English language and linguistics programs in Vietnam. VNU Journal of Science: Education Research, 38(1), 21-31. https://doi.org/10.25073/2588-1159/vnuer.4588
Pham, T. N., Lin, M., Trinh, V. Q., & Bui, L. T. P. (2020). Electronic peer feedback, EFL academic writing and reflective thinking: Evidence from a Confucian context. SAGE Open, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020914554
Planas-Lladó, A., Feliu, L., Castro, F., Fraguell, R. M., Arbat, G., Pujol, J., Suñol, J. J., & Daunis-i-Estadella, P. (2018). Using peer assessment to evaluate teamwork from a multidisciplinary perspective. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(1), 14–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1274369
Planas Lladó, A., Feliu Soley, L., Fraguell Sansbelló, R. M., Arbat Pujolras, G., Pujol Planella, J., Roura-Pascual, N., Suñol Martínez, J. J., & Montoro Moreno, L. (2014). Student perceptions of peer assessment: An interdisciplinary study. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(5), 592–610. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2013.860077
Poscente, K. (2006). [Book review - The three dimensions of learning: Contemporary learning theory in the tension field between the cognitive, the emotional and the social, by K. Illeris]. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 7(1).
Sanchez, C. E., Atkinson, K. M., Koenka, A. C., Moshontz, H., & Cooper, H. (2017). Self-grading and peer-grading for formative and summative assessments in 3rd through 12th grade classrooms: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(8), 1049-1066.
Saraiva, C., Mamede, H. S., Silveira, M. C., & Nunes, M. (2021). Transforming physical enterprise into a remote organization: Transformation impact: Digital tools, processes and people. In A. Rocha (Ed.), 2021 16th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI) (pp. 1–5). https://doi.org/10.23919/CISTI52073.2021.9476463
Schilirò, D. (2021). Digital transformation, COVID-19, and the future of work. International Journal of Business Management and Economic Research, 12(3), 1945–1952.
Stančić, M. (2021). Peer assessment as a learning and self-assessment tool: A look inside the black box. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(6), 852–864. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1828267
Topping, K. (2021). Peer assessment: Channels of operation. Education Sciences, 11(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030091
The Government of Singapore. (2019). Critical core skills. https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/initiatives/mid-career/criticalcoreskills
U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Common framework for employability skills. Perkins Collaborative Resource Network. https://cte.ed.gov/initiatives/employability-skills-framework
Wanner, T., & Palmer, E. (2018). Formative self-and peer assessment for improved student learning: The crucial factors of design, teacher participation and feedback. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(7), 1032–1047. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1427698
Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: What it is-what it is not (Vol. 1). Higher Education Academy York.
Yu, S. (2019). Learning from giving peer feedback on postgraduate theses: Voices from master’s students in the Macau EFL context. Assessing Writing, 40, 42–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2019.03.004
Zhan, Y. (2021). What matters in design? Cultivating undergraduates’ critical thinking through online peer assessment in a Confucian heritage context. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(4), 615–630. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1804826