Blending ‘Fair Dinkum’ into Group Assessment of Construction Students

Abstract

Capable graduates are able to demonstrate excellence as individuals and as team players. This quasi-experimental study develops a framework for peer assessment. Data from 94 students who completed a first year undergraduate unit in construction management were analysed. The 10 criteria reported in this study were used to ensure students within a group are mutually accountable to group learning. Group success can be predicted through the framework. A Cronbach Alpha’s reliability estimate of .968 was obtained when the criteria were tested for internal validity. Principal component and scoring factor analyses were used to elicit the relative importance of each peer assessment criterion. All the criteria were relatively close, however the most significant were ‘Timeliness of contributions,’ ‘Reliability of individual’s inputs,’ ‘Value of individual’s contributions’ and ‘Individual’s motivation to succeed.’ ‘Communication’ is the least important item. Correlations between the variables were also obtained. Results showed students who were able to learn genuinely in their teams were also the most successful in the unit. The framework elicited in this study adds more depth to extant literature on assessment design, in particular construction educators and students on how team skill can be developed without compromising individuals’ commitment to self-competitiveness.