Self-Assesment Tools
Getting ready for exams in higher education can be challenging, and students often need support to evaluate their skills and proficiencies. Educators recommend incorporating self-assessment tools such as quizzes, e-portfolios, journals, and rubrics into teaching practices to improve exam performance and promote self-awareness. These methods help students identify their learning preferences, study habits, and areas of weakness, empowering them to take ownership of their learning and seek appropriate support when needed.
About Self-assessment Tools
Preparing for exams in higher education can be demanding, and students often need help to assess their skills and competencies (Mohammed and Ahmed, 2023). Although self assessment is often viewed as a skill or ability, it involves more than just assigning oneself a grade. It is an important process that requires students to actively seek feedback from various sources, reflect on it, and evaluate their learning performance based on specific criteria. It should be acknowledged that students can conduct self assessments independently without seeking external feedback, and they may stop self-assessing once they make their initial judgment (BNKW et al., 2023). Educators and instructors recommend incorporating self-assessment tools like the proposed tool in their teaching practice to improve student’s exam performance and foster self-awareness of their strengths and weaknesses (Mohammed and Ahmed, 2023).
Mohammed and Ahmed (2023) present a self-assessment tool to improve students’ exam preparation and performance. The study involved collecting data from students before and after using the tool, which asked questions related to exam preparation strategies such as understanding the exam format, imagining potential test questions, and following directions carefully. The results were compared to assess the tool’s effectiveness in improving students’ exam skills. The findings showed a significant improvement in the student’s self-assessment and exam performance after using the tool.
Table 1: A few examples of ways to Implement Student Self-Assessment in Higher Education and the Benefits for Students (Papanthymou and Darra, 2018).
| Researches (Year) Country | Implementation of Student Self-Assessment | Aim of the Study | Main Findings |
| Hung (2009), Taiwan | e- portfolio | Investigation of how foreign language students use self-assessment when they write in their e-portfolios. | E-portfolio promotes student self-assessment practice and encourages self-directed language learning. |
| Pournais (2009), Greece | Quiz (quiz report analysis for moodle) |
Development of the Quiz Report Analysis to present the results of student self-assessment through Quiz module of Moodle. | The Quiz report analysis enables students to get feedback on their performance in each test, compare their performance with that of their peers, assess their level of knowledge and have a picture of their learning. In addition, this tool helps students improve their performance, and self-regulation. Still, it motivates the students to try more and helps them identify gaps in their learning. |
| Chen (2010), Taiwan |
Web-based Mobile Assessment Participation system | Proposal of a web based system that can contribute to the effectiveness of self and peer-assessment. | Students expressed the opinion that their performance has been improved significantly |
| Rivas & Arrufat (2016), Spain | Electronic rubrics for self and peer assessment | Investigation of the use of e-rubrics to assess learning. | E-rubrics reinforce academic performance, learning and promote responsibility. |
| Ozarslan & Ozan (2016), Turkey | Online self-assessment quiz taking behaviours | Investigation the student self-assessment quiz taking behaviours in an online course. | Students who used the self-assessment quiz taking behaviours frequently were more satisfied with the course, had higher degree of perceived learning and higher scores in the final exam. |
| Duque Micán & Cuesta Medina (2017), Colombia | Systematic cycle where self-assessment is applied as a formative assessment source | Investigation of the effect of self-assessment on vocabulary ability on students’ oral fluency. | Students became more able to judge, self-monitored and reacted towards their learning and language gains. They could set learning commitments and identify weaknesses and strengths in their learning. Besides, students used learning strategies |
| Fraile, Panadero, & Pardo (2017), Spain | Co-creating rubrics (students take part in the creation of rubrics) | Comparison between the influence of co-creating rubrics and use of rubrics without the process of co-creating. | Co-creating rubrics may activate learning strategies and have a positive effect on self-regulation and performance. |
| Elgadal (2017), Libya | Self-assessment sheet, post-study feedback form | Investigation of the effect of self-assessment on the writing of EFL students. | Most students who used self-assessment had a positive attitude towards the procedure of self-assessment and improved their drafts because they made surface and meaning revisions whereas the students who didn’t use self-assessment made a few surface revisions. |
In summary, self-assessment tools for students serve multiple purposes, including increasing the interest and motivation level of students for the subjects leading to enhanced learning and better academic performance (Sharma et al., 2016), improving exam preparation and performance (Mohammed and Ahmed, 2023), assessing knowledge and teaching lifelong learning skills (Mehta, 1999), engaging students in their learning (Dungan, 2006) and developing self-evaluation skills for lifelong learning and professional practice (Arthur, 1995).
References
- Arthur, H. (1995). Student self-evaluations: how useful? How valid? International journal of nursing studies, 32(3), 271-6.
- B. N. K. W., Sudirtha, I.G., Sukerti, N. W.. (2023). Proceedings of the Unima International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (UNICSSH 2022). In Proceedings of the Unima International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (UNICSSH 2022). Atlantis Press SARL.
- Dungan, A., Mundhenk, G. L. (2006). Student Self-Assessment: A Tool for Engaging Management Students in Their Learning, Organization Management Journal, 3(1).
- Mohammed, S.A., Ahmed, N.S. (2023). Self-assessment tool for improving student’s skills regarding the exams in higher education. Science Journal of University of Zakho.
- Mehta, S.I., Danielson, S. (1999). Self Assessment By Students: An Effective, Valid, And Simple Tool?. ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings.
- Papanthymou, A., & Darra, M. (2018). Student Self-Assessment in Higher Education: The International Experience and the Greek Example. World Journal of Education. 8(6). https://doi.org/10.5430/wje.v8n6p130
- Sharma, R., Jain, A.K., Gupta, N., Garg, S., Batta, M., & Dhir, S.K. (2016). Impact of self-assessment by students on their learning. International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research, 6, 226 – 229.
Online Resources
- Digitals tools that teachers can use to make self-assessment tools: SurveyMonkey, H5P Branching scenario, Padlet
