Midproject Peer Assessment Effect on Group Dynamics and Transferable Skills

Abstract

Peer assessment has been widely used in educational settings, particularly in group projects. Despite its known benefits, there is limited evidence on how the design of peer assessment activities influences group dynamics or how it can be used as a mechanism to foster the development of transferable skills. In this study, we investigated the effect of a midproject intervention on group cohesion and overall peer satisfaction. The intervention consisted of an interim peer assessment, where students evaluated each other’s performance using a structured rating scale, followed by a structured conversation to provide feedback. The intervention was implemented in a third-year civil engineering group design project module with a total duration of 15 weeks. We used the standard deviation of end-of-module peer assessment scores as a proxy to measure group cohesion and overall satisfaction with peer performance and compared this metric across groups from four consecutive academic years, including one year with the intervention and three without. Results reveal that the intervention positively impacted group dynamics, and that the feedback mechanism enables students to reflect on and enhance transferable skills, including communication, reliability, enthusiasm and contribution. These findings offer evidence to support the integration of peer assessment as a tool for enhancing group functioning and skills development.