This study explored the role of peer evaluation in online collaborative learning environments. Data were collected from interviews with learners, messages in online bulletin boards, and reflective journals of learners. Data were analyzed using the cod...
This study explored the role of peer evaluation in online collaborative learning environments. Data were collected from interviews with learners, messages in online bulletin boards, and reflective journals of learners. Data were analyzed using the coding procedure for grounded theory.
Results of the data analysis indicated that peer evaluation promoted individual accountability by having learners play not only an evaluatee role such as getting a score according to their level of participation, but also an evaluator role, which provided them with the opportunity to reflect their level of participation and behaviors. During peer evaluation, participants felt uncomfortable because of the fact that they, as students, evaluated their peers. They also had some doubts about the objectivity of peer evaluation and addressed their concerns of the balance between fairness and caring for their peers. Based on such findings, this study suggested several practical implications about peer evaluation in online collaborative learning environments.