An example of Peer Assessment in art & design
This example of peer assessment was designed to develop the ability of students to assess
using agreed criteria related to the learning requirements in a specific Year 7 project.
This project was also designed to develop the skills of self and peer assessment, critical
discussion based on this criteria and the students’ attitude to learning, so as to inform their
judgements about how to progress, both for their own work and for the others in their group.
The details of the project are reproduced below, and the following sheets contain some of the
guidance materials produced by the teacher for this project and the assessment activities. It
should be noted that these and other guidance materials were also reproduced on the
interactive whiteboard to help structure and direct the assessment activities in the classroom.
The Project
This project has two main
parts. The first part is a
painting project that
develops understanding
and skills of composition
through the researching
and painting of the
elements that create a
jungle scene. This uses
the work of artists and
photographs of real
jungles to inform the
development of ideas and
compositions. The
principle focus is on the
development of pattern
and depth created by
layering foreground,
middleground and
distance, including the effect of dense jungle and distance on colour, scale of mark and
painting technique to represent the depth and density of the jungle. A fantastic bird will
appear in these paintings, forming a splash of strong colour against the dense patterned
background.
The second part involves the research and development of design ideas for the creation of a
fantastic bird. Students use the work of artists, nature books and web to research and gather
images of birds and fantastic creatures from myth and diverse visual sources. They make
drawings in their sketchbooks to inform both the designs for construction and the
development of surface decoration.
Later in the project, the bird will be constructed in clay and the surface decorated with any
materials the students wished to provide and augmented by the departments provision of
paint, paper and collage media, feathers, and varied surface colouring media, but which
could include e.g. sequins, glitter, yarns and fibres etc.
Criteria
Students were given the
criteria for each stage of the
self and peer assessment,
during each section of the
project across the term.
This example of the criteria
was used to review
progress towards the
completion of all the design
studies for the painting,
including the studies of the
birds, the elements of the
jungle and their use of
colour and media within a
well ordered composition.
The Peer Assessment activity
■ Students were deliberately arranged in mixed gender triads and not friendship groups.
■ Each triad worked on a table setting out their work and discussing each set independently.
Overall, about 15-20 minutes was set aside for the discussion activities.
■ Each member of the triad had a couple of minutes to present all their research and design
developments, including sketchbook work and project homeworks to date, to the other two
members of the group. At the end of each presentation, the other two members of the
group coulds ask questions. The three members of the group would then use the criteria
to assess the set of work and give a grade for the work, and the effort/attitude. AND, they
would agree a target or set of targets for that student. Each student would record their
target/s in their sketchbook, set out as the target for the next 2-3 weeks.
■ This was repeated twice more, so all members of the triad had a peer assessment grade
and a target or set of targets.
■ The teacher circulated and eavesdropped on the discussions, only intervening to ensure
fairness and the correct degree of challenge in the activity.
■ After this activity was completed, the students were arranged in a large circle around the
outside of the room with their work set-out in front of them. The teacher asked each
student to state their peer assessment grade, their effort/attitude grade and their target/s.
Outcomes:
What is interesting about this activity is the effect that the organisation of the groups has.
The mixed gender triads and non-friendship groups make this a serious process. Teachers
need to think carefully about the groups, as this is key to the success and response to the
outcomes of the process. The triads mean that teachers have plenty of flexibility to create
their groups and avoid strong friendships. They also can eavesdrop easily and the
discussions can be completed in 15-20minutes. Everyone can contribute and it is not
possible for students to avoid full participation.
The following outcomes were found:
■ Students all participated and took the process seriously
■ They used the criteria really well and through discussion developed a very good sense of
what was expected and what defined an outcome that met the assessment objectives
■ Weaker students were well supported and encouraged by the triad and the whole class,
with a high degree of care and very helpful discussions about how they could improve.
These students indicated they better understood how to improve
■ Strong students were highly praised and their strengths analysed to the benefits of all
others
■ Lazy students who wasted lesson time or distracted others were prepared to admit their
inability to remain on task and agree targets to improve their behaviour, efforts and
approach to improving their work. They agreed achievement deadlines and improvements
in the standard of their work
■ All students found the process useful and agreed that they better understood the criteria
and project outcomes, but they all agreed that their targets were reasonable and
meaningful to them (SMART)
■ When the lesson resumed, all students settled rapidly and purposefully.
The teachers view
The teacher believed this process did cost one lesson per term spread over 2 or 3
assessment activities, but that the payoff is immense and exceeds the cost. Students are
more motivated, better behaved, more focussed and much more articulate about the
expectations and their own personal targets for improvement.
Printed below is one of the Peer Group assessment Sheets. The teacher noted that students
were using KS3 grades based on the school system, but this could easily be adapted to use
the strands of the level statements. This activity should not seek to agree a Level judgement
as insufficient work is considered from too short a period.
With thanks to the art and design department in Reigate School, Surrey