Citizenship

Peer-led learning

Photo of three secondary pupils looking at leaflets and having a discussion

Assessment

The involvement of the young people in the assessment of their own work and that of their peers is essential to this process. Time and support needs to be given according to the skills and experience young people have in self and peer assessment.

7 Reviewing and assessing the learning

The reviewing process looks at the project as a whole and then goes on to look at each individual’s contribution through self-assessment and peer assessment.

Worksheets to help with this stage of the process are:

Word icon Word file: Giving your opinions worksheet (34 KB)

Word icon Word file: Self-assessment worksheet (26 KB)

Word icon Word file: Peer assessment worksheet (31 KB)

Word icon Word file: Skills transfer worksheet (30 KB)

The process provides an opportunity for schools to try out new (or non-conventional) forms of assessment in order to maintain consistency with the core values of the process itself. The most important aspects of the process are that it should:

  • use the principles of Assessment is for Learning to develop an assessment strategy
  • be peer-led, supported by staff, and peer-assessed
  • recognise competence that would be built into the initial planning process but also award responsibility
  • allow young people to improvise around a theme, working on outcomes but also on the processes of decision making and co-operation
  • focus on assessment criteria which assess active, shaping, participative processes, which provide evidence of genuine change in attitude, outlook and expectations and which demonstrate opportunities for genuine, authentic negotiation that may lead to previously unforeseen decisions and outcomes
  • adopt, as an assessment instrument, a portfolio/journal style of learning as this facilitates the positive assessment of what has actually been achieved and developed incrementally. The portfolio/journal style provides opportunities for diverse methods of evidence collection (eg oral, expressive, physical and sometimes using digital media). It is inclusive in that it legitimises ideas, decisions and products from, and in, young people’s lives
  • aim for legacy, ie attempt to make a lasting impact on the school, and visibility, ie attempt to make a difference to young people’s attitudes and their communities.

Criteria to support peer assessment

1. The young person participates positively in a discussion to identify the issue to be tackled.
2. The young person, in collaboration with their group, decides how they want to present their work.
3. The young person identifies the skills needed to successfully complete the project and decides in collaboration with the group the role he or she will take.
4. A check-in stage by peers halfway through the project is completed. This identifies successes, work still to be done and who can help if there are issues.
5. The young person successfully fulfils their responsibility to the group, as described in the previous point.
6. The young person can identify the skills they have used in completing this process and can see how they could transfer to other settings.
7. The young person can comment on what they have learnt from the process.

The assessment criteria above reflect some of the key features in Scotland’s Assessment is for Learning policy.

Leadership and participation

The intention of this process is to genuinely allow children and young people greater levels of responsibility in planning, carrying out and assessing their learning. Emphasis must be given to:

  • ensuring that this is an award for all, and therefore the development of inclusive policies for young people on ability, gender, social and emotional background, etc
  • creation of innovative approaches to participation, eg during the school day bringing together young people on something other than age-banding
  • styles of staff development, enhancing conventional teacher/learner relationships through, for example, Communities of Enquiry
  • the formation of leadership styles that are centred on the core values of the process (rather than on hierarchical, managerial structures).

Learning outcomes

At the end of the project the students will have: 

  • organised by themselves
  • worked as a team
  • carried out research
  • recorded their information
  • presented it (on paper, video, CD, pictures, performance) in the way the group felt most appropriate
  • assessed their own contribution and the contribution of their team members.

8 Accreditation: Youth Scotland Dynamic Youth Award

The young people’s work can be accredited externally through Youth Scotland’s Dynamic Youth Award (an ASDAN Award). The criteria for assessment are different but the process is similar. If the Award is externally accredited there are costs involved.

For more information, visit the Youth Scotland website.