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Related Experiment Videos

How accurate is peer grading?

Scott Freeman¹, John W Parks

¹Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, USA. srf991@u.washington.edu

CBE Life Sciences Education

|December 3, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Peer grading in introductory biology courses is accurate enough for low-stakes assessments. Students graded practice exams less strictly than professionals, especially for complex questions, but it can reduce instructor workload.

Related Experiment Videos

Area of Science:

Biology Education
Educational Assessment

Background:

Weekly, written, timed, and peer-graded practice exams were previously shown to improve student performance and reduce failure rates in introductory biology.
The accuracy of peer grading, a method to alleviate instructor workload, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the accuracy of student peer grading by comparing scores assigned by students to those assigned by a professional grader.
To determine if group peer grading improves accuracy compared to individual peer grading.

Main Methods:

Students graded practice exams, and their scores were compared to a professional grader's scores.
Accuracy was assessed by calculating the difference in points awarded by students versus the professional grader.
The impact of question cognitive demand (higher-order vs. lower-order) on grading accuracy was examined.

Main Results:

Students were significantly more lenient graders than the professional grader, awarding approximately 25% more points.
This leniency persisted whether students graded individually or in groups of four.
The discrepancy between student and professional grading was more pronounced for questions requiring higher-order cognitive skills.

Conclusions:

Peer grading may be sufficiently accurate for low-stakes assessments in introductory biology.
Students struggle with both answering and grading questions that target higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.
Implementing peer grading can reduce the grading burden on instructors, enabling more practice opportunities to enhance student learning.