University students’ peer assessment in the language environment: From rote to meaningful learning

Abstract

© 2016 Latypova et al.The study presents the research on how the shift to student-centered approach drastically changed the educational environment. Greater flexibility both in the content and teaching methods is the greatest challenge for educational community. The paper describes results of the experiment aimed to prove the effectiveness of peer assessment method to form meaningful learning. The experiment outcome convinced that contradiction between students’ perception of learning and teaching practices of educators is eliminated by the paradigm shift from direct form of teaching to a more collaborative one. The purpose of the research was to examine both learners’ performance and evaluators’ assumptions regarding that performance cooperatively at each stage. To achieve this objective, we conducted the experiment where students’ focus group was exposed to peer-assessment practice throughout the course while training of others was based on traditional method. The results proved the efficiency of peer assessment method in meaningful learning formation by observing students’ final project presentation. The experiment showed viability and prospects of meaningful learning. To create continuity lessons and the whole curriculum should be based on meaningful learning. We state meaningful learning to have crucial value both for Bachelor and Master students’ success in mastering the English language and maintaining learners’ continued engagement in the process of acquiring linguistic competence.