Peer and Self-Assessment for First-Year Students as a Tool to Improve Learning

Abstract

In a time when European university systems are facing changes and opportunities for convergence, civil engineering teachers are also engaging in new methods of teaching that foster active learning, creativity, and leadership by students. This paper presents the most relevant results of a study on a first-year course, Introduction to Civil Engineering, that has been evolving from a merely knowledge-based course to a competence-oriented course, focusing on both technical competences as well as soft skills. The course was associated to other courses, in which similar practices were implemented to increase the responsibility of the student for his or her own learning process. Peer and self-assessment were instrumental key features in the courses and pedagogical support from the Council of Engineering Courses was used to facilitate the successful introduction of these assessment methods. The findings show a positive correlation between student and teacher marks as well as increased motivation and accountability that justified the extra time effort of the teacher. Based on these experiences, the authors recommend a continuous effort to move away from the traditional educational teaching system, in which assessment does not stimulate the development of soft skills.