Peer assessment in hospitality education: Impacts of group size on performance and rating

This paper explores the role of peer assessment in managing student performance in hospitality education. Issues, such as reliability and effectiveness for students and educators, are investigated with a focus on the impacts of group size on the practice of peer assessment. Differences between peer assessment in groups of less than five students and groups with five or more are explored. Findings indicate differential patterns of marking based on group size with smaller groups tending to mark peers more generously than larger groups. Issues of collusion and subversion of the instrument and the process of peer assessment are also examined.