Teresa
I'm sure many others will be interested to see the results of research on
this important topic
This is a bit of a tangent, but it may be useful. Many of us will have the
experience you describe, of close agreement among colleagues on marks. (This
agreement may be closer in number-based subjects.) This is obviously good
for the reliability of marking.
However, it is important that students also know the standards to which
their work will be marked; that is, that they know what teachers believe to
be the qualities of good work in the subject, and can apply these standards
to their own work. If the assessor's knowledge of standards is, as you
suggest (I think correctly) often tacit, then how are these standards
communicated to, and then externalised and used by, students? (I have not
read Sadler's work and therefore do not know whether he addresses this.)
There is a useful account of the social processes through which we make our
tacit knowledge explicit in Nonaka, I. (1994). "A Dynamic Theory of
Organizational Knowledge Creation." Organization Science 5: 14-37.
Here is a useful source on student self assessment -
http://intl-rer.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/59/4/395 - students after
all hopefully being part of the community!
Best wishes,
David
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-----Original Message-----
From: Online forum for SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development Association
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Teresa McConlogue
Sent: 14 August 2009 16:17
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: guild of markers
Dear All
I am currently writing a paper on peer assessment. One of the issues
that has emerged is subjectivity in marking. I've been reading studies
about explicit marking criteria and tacit knowledge and I've come
across the idea of a 'guild of markers' (Sadler) and also 'community of
assessors'. However, I can find no research studies into the reliability
of marking of a 'guild' or 'community'. I know tutors claim that working
together in a small team, they often assign very similar grades to work,
hence the assumption is that they have managed through discussion to
exchange tacit knowledge about standards.
However, I would like to see some research evidence. It may be that
tutors use safe marking practices and a small range of marks, so it's
not surprising that their marks are similar.
Is anyone aware of any studies that either dispute or support the idea
of a guild of markers? I would be very grateful if you could send me
some references.
Many thanks
Teresa McConlogue
--
Dr. Teresa McConlogue
Thinking Writing Advisor
Queen Mary, University of London
Mile End Road
London
E1 4NS
Direct Telephone: 020 7882 2834
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