Peer assessment

[Richard]

A book I've been reading (Jang, E. E. 2014 Focus on Assessment. OUP) contains the following statement:

"Clearly, giving marks to peers is not an effective form of assessment for adolescents, in light of the significance of peer pressure among adolescents." There is nothing in the preceding text that appears to justify this conclusion; just before this statement, the author talks about how peer assessment helps adolescents work closely together and the need for teachers to provide formative assessment.

Do you think that peer pressure makes peer assessment ineffective? Is the issue so important that we should avoid using peer assessment with adolescents?

[selim.has]

Four observations:
1) Based on there being "nothing in the preceding text that appears to justify this conclusion", how can the author write "Clearly"? The author seems to contradict him/herself.

2) Does peer pressure among adolescents vary between and among cultures? I would say that American adolescents would absolutely be subject to peer pressure, but what about kids in Thailand? I would really like someone here to share their personal or anecdotal experience about this.

3) To answer the first question, I would say no. It would depend to a certain degree on the atmosphere that a teacher creates in her class, and how the issue is explained and handled.

4) No, we should not avoid using peer assessment with adolescents. Assessing others is not just about the "others". I would argue that it can benefit the assessor herself in many significant ways. (We can discuss the ways in another conversation.)

Off-topic: When I registered for the forum, the only language choice in the drop-down list was British English! While I have nothing but love, admiration and respect for the British, it did seem rather limiting.