Imagine yourself driving a car to an unknown place for a team building activity. It is a four-hour drive, you have your google map for direction however the organizer informed you that there is no cellular network coverage 50 kilometers away from the location. You know where you are going, you know you’re on the right path, but you still check with your colleagues where they are at. Then you wait for your other colleagues so you can navigate together the area with no cellular connection nor a google map to guide you. Together, you all reached your destination safely, on time and with a surprise reward. Since you and some of your co-workers practice teamwork to reach your destination, you actualized the meaning of the activity and further your understanding of team building.
This is how I see self and peer assessment. Practice of both can promote and enrich learning. It may seem like it’s an additional activity but the benefits are rewarding. Self assessment is your guide- your map of where you are going, your location in the map, you can use it to know the “gaps” or how far are you from your goal. Though you know you’re on the right path, it is helpful to also have someone/a group of people in a similar situation helping, guiding and motivating each other to reach your destination. Together, reaching the destination is not just the reward, the learning and the journey is the surprise reward.
Charry's Teaching Odyssey 