Assessment that inspires: peer assessment as a tool for motivation and development of higher education students

Abstract

The article examines modern trends in the evaluation of educational achievements of students of higher education institutions and offers a new approach - peer evaluation. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to find new effective assessment tools that would meet the requirements of modern education. Traditional assessment methods often do not allow to fully assess the level of development of students, their ability to think critically and collaborate.
The purpose of the article is to substantiate the partnership approach to assessment as an effective tool for student development. Peer assessment involves active participation of students in the assessment process, including joint definition of criteria, mutual assessment, self-assessment and reflection. The article analyzes the evolution of approaches to assessment from traditional to modern ones; shortcomings of traditional assessment methods were revealed, such as subjectivity, inflexibility and insufficient focus on student development; a partner approach to assessment is justified. The essence of peer evaluation consists in the joint development with students of clear and understandable evaluation criteria for various
types of work that are planned to be performed during the semester and that reflect the goals of the academic discipline; in mutual evaluation; in self-assessment; development of tools for collecting and analyzing feedback; in the performance of the teacher as a facilitator, who directs the assessment process, provides individual support to students, helps to understand their strengths, identify directions for further improvement and conducts a final assessment.
The advantages of the partnership approach are substantiated: increasing student motivation, developing critical thinking, cooperation and independence, the ability to make decisions, formulate arguments, express one’s opinion and present results, and reduce pedagogical subjectivism.
Peer assessment is a promising direction in the development of modern education. It contributes to the creation of a more active and interactive learning environment that meets the needs of modern students. For the successful implementation of peer assessment, it is necessary to ensure proper training of teachers, develop clear assessment criteria and create favorable conditions for cooperation between teachers and students. The article is important for educational practitioners - teachers, methodologists, administrators of educational institutions. The results of the research can be used for the development of new teacher training programs, as well as for the implementation of innovative approaches to assessment in educational institutions.