Assessments: Self vs. Teacher Administered

“Student Self Evaluation, Teacher Evaluation, and Learner Performace.” Oline, Zone and Howard J Sullivan. Educational Technology Research & Development; 2004, Vol. 52 Issue 3, p5-22, 18p. Ebscohost. 16 Sept 09.

“Student Self Evaluation, Teacher Evaluation, and Learner Performance.” reported on a study that researched the efficacy of different assessment methods. The comparison was drawn between different administrators of assessment: self, teacher, or self-plus-teacher (along with a control without in-program evaluation). Using eight teachers and 341 high school students, the study was conducted in Latvian school over the course of a 12 lesson long program of study. An independent evaluator rated the efficacy of each method and determined that the students who used self-plus-teacher evaluations were best. Additionally, the evaluator determined that while those students earned higher ratings, there was a ancillary benefit for students who did self-evaluation because of the increase in self-confidence in their mastery of the unit.
Many of the conclusions made were simply logical and none-too-surprising. The most comprehensive form of assessment proved to be the most effective, not doubt because it offers the widest cross-section of students with a method that worked for him or her personally. Without explicitly differentiating each lesson, this format does build in differentiation because students will experience their preferred method at least some of the time. This could certainly supplement any displeasure or frustration with the misfit of the non-preferred method.
The study evoked much more curiosity from me during the discussion of the self-administered assessment. Student expressed a concern about not know if they were being sufficiently objective in their evaluations. One subject gave the following quote, “I think that is very difficult to evaluate oneself. When writing your work you already think that it is the best. And you write it in a way that you find the best. I don’t know. It is very hard [to evaluate oneself].” This student does not sound like the majority of my students. While many teachers lament the lack of student questions, my experience is that students will (persistently) ask questions when confused and are often helpless to move forward until given assistance.
What would the self-assessment model look like for my keiki or for low-achieving students in general? I can’t imagine most of my kids telling me they are sure that they think most of their answers are “the best” or even correct. I suspect that they would be all too likely to grade only at the extremes. In my use of self-reflective behavior grades, I saw many ratings of A and D but many fewer B and C grades. Whether this has to do with their academic profiles or could be corrected with a clear rubric to explain expectations, I am not sure. I am much more sure that I am more confident in the idea of moderation in all things and the use of mixed self-and-teacher evaluations.