Analysing the implementation of a didactic sequence based on peer assessment: reflections on the development of evaluative judgement in higher education

Abstract

Competency-based designs promote the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable professionals to develop adaptive experience, preparing them through learning activities and authentic assessment, for the future acquisition of new content. This requires the development of evaluative judgement, so that the quality of one’s own work processes can be assessed autonomously and with critical judgement. This paper presents the design of an educational experience with students of Galenic Pharmacy (N = 339) during the 2021–2022 academic year, the objective of which, when giving presentations on ways of administering medicines, was not only the learning of content but also the development of competencies. A complex task with iterative deliverables is proposed in which peer assessment is the key to the development of evaluative judgement. The results show the positive effects of peer assessment, the growth of feedback provided from loop to loop and the development of critical judgement. However, engagement with the process has been erratic and the focus of feedback has not been sufficiently centred on content. Improved assessment literacy would probably be necessary both for teachers, in order to be able to establish criteria more aligned with their competencies, and for students to be able to attach greater formative value to these practices and engage with the learning process itself, and thus be able to continue this autonomous and self-regulated learning throughout life.