| With increasing class sizes, methods of evaluations shift from those that promote knowledge-use (e.g., writing assignments) to techniques that focus on knowledge-acquisition (e.g., multiple-choice). In an attempt to return knowledge-use activities into large classes, the Reading, Thinking, and Communication Portal (RTCP) was developed as an online peer evaluation tool. Many benefits are associated with peer evaluation, but it was the concerns that prompted 2 experimental studies using the RTCP to examine mark agreement between and within groups of expert (graduate teaching assistants) and peer markers (undergraduates). The results indicated that experts are slightly tougher markers than peers overall, while agreement between the groups increased with the addition of an RTCP accountability feature. Moderate mark agreement within groups of expert markers was consistent across studies, but raised questions about standard grading practices. By and large the RTCP accomplished its goal of returning writing into a large class, while meeting current standards. |
