Accuracy and reliability of peer assessment of athletic training psychomotor laboratory skills.
BACKGROUND
Peer assessment is defined as students judging the level or quality of a fellow student's understanding. No researchers have yet demonstrated the accuracy or reliability of peer assessment in athletic training education.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy and reliability of peer assessment of athletic training students' psychomotor skills.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Entry-level master's athletic training education program.


METHODS
First-year (n  =  5) and second-year (n  =  8) students.


METHODS
Participants evaluated 10 videos of a peer performing 3 psychomotor skills (middle deltoid manual muscle test, Faber test, and Slocum drawer test) on 2 separate occasions using a valid assessment tool. Accuracy of each peer-assessment score was examined through percentage correct scores. We used a generalizability study to determine how reliable athletic training students were in assessing a peer performing the aforementioned skills. Decision studies using generalizability theory demonstrated how the peer-assessment scores were affected by the number of participants and number of occasions.


RESULTS
Participants had a high percentage of correct scores: 96.84% for the middle deltoid manual muscle test, 94.83% for the Faber test, and 97.13% for the Slocum drawer test. They were not able to reliably assess a peer performing any of the psychomotor skills on only 1 occasion. However, the φ increased (exceeding the 0.70 minimal standard) when 2 participants assessed the skill on 3 occasions (φ  =  0.79) for the Faber test, with 1 participant on 2 occasions (φ  =  0.76) for the Slocum drawer test, and with 3 participants on 2 occasions for the middle deltoid manual muscle test (φ  =  0.72).


CONCLUSIONS
Although students did not detect all errors, they assessed their peers with an average of 96% accuracy. Having only 1 student assess a peer performing certain psychomotor skills was less reliable than having more than 1 student assess those skills on more than 1 occasion. Peer assessment of psychomotor skills could be an important part of the learning process and a tool to supplement instructor assessment.
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA. mmarty@ashland.edu
Melissa C
MC
Marty
Jolene M
JM
Henning
John T
JT
Willse
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004500:Education, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D010379:Peer Group; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000193:education*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*