Evaluations of a peer assessment instrument on group work for marketing and management students : a multi-institutional study

The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of peer moderation of group work on business students studying marketing and hospitality management degrees. The use of peer moderation of group work has been discussed in the literature as an effective tool for making group work more accountable and closer to real world experience for students. Additionally the use of peer moderation allows for student ownership of the group project. This paper starts with a review of the literature, it is then followed by a description of the instrument used and peer assessment practice. The research was conducted on 250 students at two metropolitan universities in Australia. Data collected was of the peer factor, the final grade in the subject and demographic details about participants. Results of the analysis of data revealed that significant differences emerged based on whether international or domestic student, the age of the respondents, the entry score and whether entry to the degree was direct or articulation from another provider and peer factor. These findings have implications for group work learning and management of group assignments in business programs.