Student Self-Assessment in Higher Education: The International Experience and the Greek Example

Abstract

This study is a review of 34 empirical studies internationally and in Greece from 2008-2018 and aims at investigating:
a. the implementation of student self-assessment in Higher education and the outcomes on students, b. the ability of
students to self-assess accurately and the factors that affect this ability. According to the main findings, self-assessment
is implemented through various ways that include inter alia electronic and non-electronic self-assessment tools.
Internationally, most studies have examined and proved the contribution of student self-assessment to improvement of
performance and learning. Moreover, self-assessment develops self-regulating learning, increases self-confidence,
motivates students to ask guidance from their professors and help from their peers, increases self-efficacy, students’
awareness of self-assessment ability and self-control, makes students change attitudes towards course, prepares
employability skills of students, reduces anxiety for assessment, increases students’ responsibility about their
learning, makes them have a critical view on their work and develops critical thinking skills. In Greece, it was found
only one study that examined the implementation of student self-assessment in Higher education and its impact on
students and findings indicate that self-assessment through a quiz improves performance, self-regulation, motivates
students to try more and helps them identify gaps in their learning. Student self-assessment ability and factors that
affect this ability have been examined only internationally, so in Greece there is a research gap concerning these
parameters. Tertiary students can self-assess accurately and this ability depends on specific factors such as
confidence, prior achievement, learning style, scaffolding from professors, training, dialogical interaction and
dynamic assessment.