proceedings of Student Mobility and ICT: Can E-LEARNING

Peer-assessment, according to Falchikov (1995), is a process during which the individuals
evaluate one another and the members of their group. Somervell (1993) state that the peer-assessment is not
only a ranking procedure, but also it is a part of the educational process, during which the transferable skills
are taught and improved. Peer –assessment can be the part of self-assessment, where the students learn
about the works of other co-students more than the teacher. The peer-assessment is a practice, which
strengthens the feeling of responsibility, requires the correct judgment from the students, while evaluating
the others, make them be objective and know the true evaluation criteria.
Self-assessment and peer-assessment involves students into the identification and negotiation of
the standards and criteria of their work and assessment; creates environment for students to make
discussions and evaluate one another; allow to discuss the assessment’s objectiveness. According to Brown
and Dove (1991) the self and peer assessment that was successfully involved in studies can: 1) help the
students to feel that they are the masters of their educational process; 2) to motivate them to be interested
more in the educational process; 3) to think about the assessment as the common activity, that does not
depend on one person;4) to develop cooperation skills and the change of ideas; 5) to show the way into
deeper and more effective studying; 6) to encourage the students to be independent in the educational
society, where the students feel the influence and try to be involved in it; 7) students feel that their
experience is evaluated and the decisions are valued and respected 8) to develop the transferred and
personal qualities; 9) to take part is educational community. Self-assessment and peer-assessment add the
novelty to the course. The new evaluation is different from the formal and the student are responsibly
involved in it.
One more evaluation form is portfolio assessment. Stiggins (1994) describes the portfolio as the
entity of documents, proves, that describe the achievements of the student and his improvement. The
evidence of portfolio are not only the artifacts, the works of the students, but also the logical statement that
is connected to the aims that were achieved by the student, that correspond with the assessment standards
and the expected results. According to Stiggins, portfolio is not only the assessment form but also the way
to discuss the achievements of the students, their growth, and development. The filling of the portfolios
connected to the personal knowledge, experience and skills, which become the target of the education.
Zubizaretta (2004) states that the main point of filling in the portfolio is to improve the process of the
education, creating the possibility for reflection of the learning process and developing of the skills that
increase due to the critical reflection.
Competence-based assessment strategies and forms for intercultural
competence development online
Introduction of new assessment strategies and forms mentioned above is essential for
implementing competence based approach. The use of proper assessment forms and tools can be
considered as successful strategy for online development of intercultural competence. Evaluation of
assessment strategies would allow to draw conclusions on opportunities to implement competence based
approach in intercultural learning. Investigating the use of competence based assessment forms the research
was made in the framework of Socrates/Minerva programme Project „M.A.S.T.E.R. - Mobility,
Assessment, Selection, Technology and E-learning Research“ (Nr. 229580-CP-1-2006-1-NL-MINERVA-
MPP), which is a joint project from Maastricht University, University of Dundee, Siauliai University and
Fachhochschule Lübeck. The results described here are taken from quantitative research made in Siauliai
University (Lithuania) with 174 Master students participated in M.A.S.T.E.R. project online course
“Intercultural Communication”. After the course had been completed, the survey on remedial courses
assessment strategies and tools in the M.A.S.T.E.R. project was made. Respondents (students) were asked
to evaluate different forms of assessment used in the course (tutor-assessment, self-assessment, portfolio)
according to quality requirements of assessment (validity, reliability, transparency).
Baumer (2002) explains the notion of intercultural competence in two way: 1) as the precondition
for the successful daily communication of people and as 2) the precondition for the successful
communication of people from different cultures(people that speak different language, that live in the
different cultural context etc). There also exsist a different scientific opinion that states that the intercultural
competence – is the ability to effectively integrate in the different culture group (INCA, 2004).
Conference proceedings of Student Mobility and ICT: Can E-LEARNING overcome barriers of Life-Long learning?” 43