Abstract:

This paper focuses on the role of the peer assessment in an asynchronous course in higher education. The course was designed for adult learners who have a job which is mostly teaching-related in the K-12 setting and pursue their master’s degree in education. In this course, the students were exposed to the instructional planning skills and knowledge to develop educational courses and materials. The paper addresses the different aspects of peer assessment in this particular setting where the author, as a facilitator, had to create and maintain an environment in which students were expected to work effectively to accomplish tasks, interact with each other, share their knowledge so that promote peer learning, provide reflections related to their learning and their team’s work, and also they were required to meet the attendance and participation requirement. The study indicates that use of collaborative assignments and peer assessment not only facilitates student learning of course content and group work dynamics including communication, interaction, timing, diversity, leadership, conflict management, and a common goal, but also helps students develop lifelong learning skills to assess others and improve their own work based on peers’ feedback.