Students’ Perceptions on Reciprocal Peer Tutorial Assessment in an Undergraduate Course in Process Metallurgy

Tutorials play a key role in the teaching and learning of engineering sciences. However, the efficacy of tutorials as platforms for providing personal and academic support is continuously being challenged by factors such as declining faculty-to-student ratios and students’ under-preparedness. This s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Education sciences Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 27 - 38
Main Author: Matinde, Elias
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.03.2019
Subjects:
Capstone projects
Collaborative learning
Cooperative Learning
disciplinary engagement
Educational Environment
Educational research
Engineering Education
Feedback
Foreign Countries
Higher education
Independent study
Interactive learning
Learning Strategies
Metallurgy
Peer Evaluation
Peer Teaching
Peer tutoring
Peer-assisted learning
School environment
Student Attitudes
Students
Studies
Teaching
Teaching Methods
tutorial assessment
Tutorial Programs
Tutoring
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate Study
South Africa
South Africa (Johannesburg)
ISSN:2227-7102, 2227-7102
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Tutorials play a key role in the teaching and learning of engineering sciences. However, the efficacy of tutorials as platforms for providing personal and academic support is continuously being challenged by factors such as declining faculty-to-student ratios and students’ under-preparedness. This study adopted reciprocal peer tutorial assessment as an instructional strategy in a capstone course in Process Metallurgy. The findings from highlighted the delicate balance between the obvious benefits and the unintended consequences of adopting reciprocal peer assessments during tutorials. The obvious benefits of RPTA included opportunities for synergistic peer learning, healthy competition among students, self-directed learning, among others. However, the benefits of RPTA were negated by factors such as low level of trust among peers, anxiety over year marks, time constraints, and discomfort due to perceived incompetency when compared to their peers. Finally, the findings from the present study provided opportunities for iterative design and continuous improvement.
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ISSN:2227-7102
2227-7102
DOI:10.3390/educsci9010027