Miguel Angel Gómez Ruiz

La evaluación entre iguales: beneficios y estrategias para su práctica en la universidad

Peer assessment is one of the assessment strategies that can be used to enhance lifelong learning. A conceptual framework (learning-oriented assessment) is roughly described, in which student participation through strategies such as self-assessment, peer assessment and cooperative assessment are essential. Peer assessment at university is analysed, focusing on the characteristics of this assessment strategy and the difficulties of its implementation. The characteristics of peer assessment are specified and a typology is presented (individual, intragroup and inter-group). The main difficulties evinced by research studies when implementing peer assessment are described. The conceptual, institutional, and relational difficulties and aspects related to the reliability and validity of peer assessment are highlighted. Nevertheless, university students and teachers can reap benefits from peer assessment, like improvement of learning processes and products, development of interpersonal strategies, improved judgement and development of certain academic and vocational competences. A collection of strategies is presented that allow university teachers to implement peer assessment in their academic activity. Examples and research are cited, revolving around three basic dimensions: planning, feed-forward and the systematisation of peer assessment.

e-Autoevaluación en la universidad: un reto para profesores y estudiantes

Through different research projects and other endeavours, many authors have been emphasizing in recent years the importance of the student�s role in the assessment process, for example, by means of self-assessment or peer assessment. Here the use of self-assessment is analyzed and described, but within a context of blended learning utilizing information and communications technologies (ICTS), with the aim of expanding the usefulness and feasibility of self-assessment at the university level. Firstly, the conceptual framework on which this research is based is introduced. The focus is on two fundamental topics: student participation in the assessment process and the use of technologies in the assessment process. As a relevant contribution, the authors present the facilitating role that can be played by assessment units designed with the LAMS platform (the Learning Activity Management System, part of the Virtual Campus) in order to incorporate students� e-self assessments into the university teaching/learning process. Secondly, the research results are presented. They take the form of case studies structured around the different issues raised in the questionnaires used to implement e-assessment: knowledge and previous resources, contributions to assessment tasks, interesting topics raised, challenges for expanding and learning, and workload. Conclusions about the use of e-self-assessment in higher education are presented. Stress is laid on the fact that e-self-assessment promotes active participation by students and also implies an exercise in self-regulation and critical reflection about one�s degree of knowledge and development of skills. Lastly, some limitations detected in the process of this research are considered, and outlooks are presented that enable research in this context to be continued.