Buddycheck - Group Member Evaluation

Buddycheck is simple to set up and uses peer evaluation tool which allows students to evaluate each team member’s performance in a group activity, as well as perform a self-assessment. The instructor can create any number of performance criteria or select from a number of samples. Students are awarded an average score (excluding or including their self-score), or have a calculated adjustment factor applied to their final group assessment mark. Students will receive feedback on the group dynamic and their own performance against the group average. Buddycheck utilises the research-based CATME framework for peer evaluation in groups.

View the Buddycheck website: https://buddycheck.io

The following topics will be covered in this guide.

 

Watch the video down below to see how a Buddycheck evaluation can be inserted into a new delivery space.



Buddycheck can only be enabled in a Delivery Space.

 

Before you start - create your groups

Before you create a Buddycheck evaluation in a delivery space, you must first create the group category you will use, as it can't be selected after the evaluation has been created. The associated groups, however, don't have to be populated with the student enrollments at this stage, as you can sync the group with Buddycheck as the students are being allocated.

An assessment group will need to be created before formulating the Buddycheck evaluation. Please look at Creating Student Self Enrolment Groups for more information.

 

Step One: Add Buddycheck to your Delivery Space


1. Go to Learning Space and click Add Activities.

2. Select External Learning Tools.

add acitvities external learning tools

3. Click Buddycheck – Group Member Evaluation.

 select buddycheck

4. Once added to the page, launch the newly added link.

select buddycheck evaluation

5. If this is the first time using Buddycheck you will be asked to activate it.

activate

 

Step Two: Create an Evaluation


You can now create your first evaluation.

1. Click Create Evaluation.

create evaulation

2. Enter an Evaluation title,  optionally select a previous evaluation as a template, then click Continue.

enter evaluation title

2. Select the group set(s) you wish to include then enter the evaluation Start and end dates. You can enter a short introduction to the evaluation if you wish.

select group and set dates

3. You can add questions to the evaluation by Selecting from the library, Creating questions or simply by using any existing default question already created automatically. 

All evaluations must include at least ONE (1) Peer question. Without a Peer question, the BuddyCheck will not allow the students to assess their fellow group members individually, and therefore, an individual/average score cannot be obtained. 

Team question: You answer 5-scale questions about the team as a whole

Peer question: This type of question is used to score the student and each group member. Scoring will be anonymous, but not for the instructor.

Image 1

If you choose to use the existing default questions:

  1. Allows you to edit the question.
  2. Gives you a student preview of the question.
  3. Allows you to delete the questions you do not intend on using in the evaluation.

4. You can turn on the toggle if you would like to add Open questions or Peer messages (These are optional). 

Image 2

5. You can adjust the adjustment factor for the evaluation by adjusting the values by selecting Show advanced options

An Adjustment Factor value is calculated that attempts to show the contribution of a given student relative to the other members of their team. Specifically, the Adjustment Factor is the average rating of the student divided by the overall average rating for all the members of the team. With Self means that one of the student's self-ratings factored in. In some cases, the exceptional conditions described above may have an impact on the validity of these Adjustment Factor values, and in these cases, the Adjustment Factor columns will be highlighted.

 

Picture61

Student responses to these open questions are only visible to the instructor.

Open preview (1) : This allows you to preview the evaluation.
Create Evaluation (2) : This finalises the creation process of the peer evaluation.
Cancel (3) :
This allows you to cancel the set-up for this evaluation.

Image 5

 

6. Leave the toggle options off if you do not have any Open questions to ask and you do not want students to send Peer messages

7. Click Open preview to preview if the evaluation set-up is okay.

8. Click Create evaluation when done.

9. The page will reload and you will see the evaluation appear.

Image 6

 

Step Three: Periodically Update the Buddycheck to Reflect any Changes to Groups


1. If groups change in VU Collaborate you need to re-sync the Buddycheck with the delivery space.

2. Click the title of the evaluation. 

Image 6

3. Click More and then select Sync with course.

more sync with course

4. Select Continue.

Image 7

 

Step Four: Students Complete the Evaluation  


1. When students click on Buddycheck – Group Member Evaluation they will see all evaluations created in the space. To begin, they click Begin evaluation.

Students have a guide made for them that you can link them to on the Student VU Collaborate Help site.

Image 8

2. The student fills in each criteria by clicking Next until they have the option to Submit evaluation at the end of the evaluation.

criteria1 

Image 10

3.You will be able to monitor which individuals and groups have completed the task, and what scores individuals have given and received. 

Picture60

4. Although you have set a due date, students will be able to complete the evaluation until you lock the evaluation. They will however see that their submission is overdue.          

A student with an overdue submission view will see the alert message down below:

Image 13

5. You may allow a grace period and send a reminder to students who have not completed their evaluation, or simply click Lock evaluation

Picture35

 

Step Five: Release and Review Results to Students


1. To release feedback to students, select More and click Release results. 

2. Students will be able to review their feedback within Buddycheck, but will also receive an email summary.

Select More and click Download Results to download a complete summary of the evaluation. You will be prompted as to whether you export results excluding or including their self-score.

Picture36

Buddycheck integrates with the VU Collaborate Gradebook. Buddycheck will reference the existing gradebook item for the group assessment. It will then create a new grade item and multiply the group’s score by the student’s adjustment factor to generate an individualised adjusted group score. Either of these gradebook items can be used towards the student’s final score by adjusting their weighting.  

3. You can view each student’s feedback page. Select the student and select Personal Report (1).By selecting Group Report (2) you can view the entire groups results at once.

 Picture38

4. Students initially see a graphical representation of how they performed across all criteria.

 sresults1

5. Students will then see more detail on each criterion, comparing their self-score, received a score and team average.

sresults2

6. You can choose to include or exclude the students self-score in the average score calculation in the Instructor view.

7. Where certain team dynamics occurred, they will be labelled, for example in yellow, Conflict below. 

 Picture63

8. The label key can be found below:

indicators

9. To fully access the Buddycheck evaluation, again, select the Buddycheck activity link found in a module then select the evaluation title.

select buddycheck evaluation

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10. An evaluation completed with scores can be seen down below.

BC2 evaluation completed with scores

 

Step Six: Sending to the Gradebook


Before syncing your grades from BuddyCheck, ensure that the receiving grade item is out of 5 points. Since each BuddyCheck activity, by default, is 5 points max, if the grade item is different, it may cause some sync problems.

Watch our quick demonstation, showing how to release results and publish average grades to the grade book.
NOTE: Submit Avg grades in now Publish Avg grades.

buddychange release results

1. If you would like the Buddycheck evaluation to be part of an assessment grade, you can also Publish Avg grades to push to the gradebook.

more publish avg grades

2. Select grade item and submit to gradebook.

You must already have a grade item created in the unit space for this.

select grade item

3. Below is how the Buddycheck score will appear in the gradebook. 

BC5 scores in gradebook

4. If you have enabled private messages to Instructor and received one, you will see this text/chat icon next to the student’s name chat.

 

Managing Student Evaluation in BuddyCheck


These options are only available on a Closed evaluation. If you have released student results, you won't be able to modify student evaluations.

1. To modify student submissions, access the relevant BuddyCheck activity. 

2. Tick on each student's name to modify selected students.

Picture63

Or tick on the box next to the Student column to select all.

select all students

3. Once the relevant students are selected, the modification options will appear.

  • Email: email the selected student with the BuddyCheck activity link.
  • Reopen: to allow selected students to complete the evaluation if the activity is currently closed, or resubmit their evaluations.
  • Clear: to delete the student evaluations.
  • Remove: to delete the selected students from the activity. This option can not be undone.

manage students in BuddyCheck

 

 


Further Support

Contact us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., for information and resources on technology-enhanced learning, or visit VUCollaborateHelp.vu.edu.au.
Contact ITS Service Desk on (03) 9919 2777 or via self-service servicedesk.vu.edu.au for technical support.


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