The effects of self and peer-assessment on basic communication skills

The purpose of the research is to argue the effects of self-assessment and peer-assessment used in the basic communication skills educational program on basic communication skills. In order to test the hypotheses, a pre-test and post-test model with control group was used. The research was carried out with Year I students attending the basic communication skills educational program in the first term of 2006-2007 academic year at Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine. There was 40 students in the experimental group and 39 students in the control group. Students in the experimental and control groups participated in the basic communication skills education program. In both groups, pre-test and post-test were applied and Basic Communication Skills Scale was used. The students in the experimental group used self- and peer-assessment as experimental transaction. A survey, composed of qualitative questions, was administrated to the students in experimental group in order to receive their feedback related to the application process.To investigate the effect of self- and peer-assessment on students? basic communication skills, experimental and control group pre- and posttest achievement scores? were analysed by using two-way variance analysis for repeated measurements. The relation between self-assessment and peer assessment, self- and peer-assessment and basic communication skills achievement scores were analyzed by Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. Paired samples t-test was used for the comparison of self-assessment and peer-assessment scores. The interrelation between the students? scores obtained from the communication skills evaluation scale was analyzed by two-way variance analysis for repeated measurements.To evaluate the students? basic communication skills, pre-and post-test was used and the scores obtained from these tests showed that both experimental and control groups? post-test achievement scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores (F: 251.57, p<0.001). Students of the experimental group who performed self-and peer assessment had a significantly higher score increase in basic communication skills than the control group students (F: 14,49, p<0,001).There was a meaningful correlation between self-assessment and peer-assessment average scores (p=0,001; r: 0,525); and no significant difference was found between these average scores. There was no meaningful correlation between self-assessment scores and post-test scores; peer-assessment scores and post-test scores.Most of the students? views on self- and peer-assessment practice was positive, they found this practice useful, and they think that it would be helpful in understanding themselves and each other.In conclusion, it was found that using self- and peer-assessment practice in basic communication skills training increases the achievement of students? basic communication skills.Key words: self-assessment, peer-assessment, basic communication skills, group dynamics, medical education