Open AccessUsing online peer feedback in formative assessment for medical sonography students teaching: the student view
Author(s) -
Thoirs KA
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
radiographer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.484
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 2051-3909
pISSN - 0033-8273
DOI - 10.1002/j.2051-3909.2010.tb00125.x
Subject(s) - formative assessment , peer feedback , popularity , likert scale , psychology , medical education , peer assessment , perception , mathematics education , anonymity , computer science , medicine , social psychology , developmental psychology , computer security , neuroscience
Purpose : This paper reports the results of a survey of external medical sonography university students which investigated their perceptions of anonymous online peer feedback formative assessments. Peer feedback is gaining popularity among academic teachers to both promote deeper learning and reduce heavy marking loads. Methods : In a cross sectional study design, 77 postgraduate students enrolled in an externally delivered sonography course in 2009 were invited to participate in a student evaluation survey. Results : Sixteen students (21%) responded to the survey. Students registered positive perceptions on a Likert scale for items asking about the value of the learning experiences, their level of comfort in participating in peer feedback, and their acceptance of using a web based medium. Anonymity rated highly as an important element of the assessments. Two‐tailed Mann‐Whitney U tests demonstrated no significant differences ( P < 0.05) between student perceptions of assessment items with and without peer feedback, or between the feedback provided by their peers and the feedback provided by the teacher. Conclusion : Open questions provided insight in how the students perceived the assessment could be improved. Future derivations of the described assessment process should use a more user‐friendly online platform, and the breadth of course content should be expanded so that all learning objectives and content are integrated into formative assessment. As well as being more acceptable to students this approach is more likely to motivate students to meet learning objectives, and encourage active learning. Further evaluation will be required as the assessments are modified.