Development and Evaluation of a Revised Peer Assessment for the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School
Abstract
Peer assessments are commonplace across a variety of settings, including within the U.S. Army. The goal of this study was to develop an efficient, useful, and sustainable peer assessment process for the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) that supports student growth on key leadership attributes while meeting larger programmatic needs. As part of a front-end analysis, a series of focus groups were conducted to gather cadre and officer candidate feedback about the legacy peer assessment process. Based on the feedback, the peer assessment process was revised with consideration for training objectives and contextual constraints. The new peer assessment included clear guidance on the evaluative criteria, including a behaviorally anchored rating scale for the target leadership attributes. The new peer assessment was tested during an OCS cycle with one company of officer candidates and compared to the legacy peer assessment. Utility and usability findings showed that while the legacy process was easier and quicker to complete, the new process was more helpful for student development. Best practices and implications for future research are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1126519
Entities
People
- Ashley H. Wittig
- Celeste N. Sanders
- Elizabeth R. Uhl
- Frederick J. Diedrich
- Ronelle L. Koschny
- Scott M. Flanagan
- Tatiana H. Toumbeva
Organizations
- Aptima (United States)