Peer Assessment for Engineering Design Education: An Exploratory Study

This study investigated the influence of engineering design classes with peer assessment on learning outcomes and the learners' and instructor's perceptions of peer assessment. For this purpose, 39 college engineering students in the engineering design class at a university in Korea were asked to conduct peer assessments twice. As a result, engineering design classes with peer assessment significantly improved learners' computational thinking, creative problem-solving, and collective efficacy. The learners and the instructor recognized that peer assessment can help develop problem-solving skills and cultivate a mindset as an engineer in the engineering design. However, they commonly noted the problem of insufficient time for assessment activities during class. Some students also doubted their own and their peers' ability as assessors. This study contributed to expanding the understanding of the role of peer assessment in the context of engineering design education.