Role of Peer Assessment in Facilitating Computational Thinking among Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

Peer assessment has been employed as an effective learning strategy to enhance cognitive practices such as problem-solving and reflection practices. A case study was conducted to explore the effects of online peer assessment as a learning strategy of computational thinking among pre-service teachers. The peer comments were analysed and coded by adopting a coding scheme of comments to investigate the significance of the peer-reviewing process in facilitating the learning of computational thinking. Each student was required to design a lesson by integrating the computational thinking facets into their lesson plan. Upon submitting the lesson plan to the instructor, they were engaged in a blind review process. The students worked in a group to review and provide constructive comments on their peers’ lesson plans. By adapting a peer-reviewing cognitive process model, this article provides evidence that the peer-reviewing process played a critical role in facilitating the learning of Computational Thinking. The findings indicate that the peer assessment strategy can develop preservice teachers’ problem-solving competencies. It was suggested that all students be informed about the purposes and learning benefits of the peer-review process to optimise the learning outcomes.