Authors
Pilar Garcia-Souto, Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Arsam Shiraz, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Ademola Odunsi, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Esther Ventura-Medina, Eindhoven School of Education, Faculty of Applied Physics and Science Education, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands; Will Newton, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Swansea University, United Kingdom; Justin Siefker, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
Synopsis
Peer assessment (PA) is a well‑established and widely used practice in higher and engineering education, aligned with the sector’s shift towards active, skills‑based learning. It supports students in developing and demonstrating a broad range of transferable competencies, including those highlighted in the second theme of this handbook, namely communication and interpersonal skills; in particular teamwork, interpersonal communication and feedback, as well as general communication. Engaging in PA requires students to review, judge, and evaluate the work of their peers, thereby fostering higher‑order cognitive skills and deeper conceptual understanding. This chapter introduces three modalities of peer assessment. First, traditional peer assessment focuses on evaluating the quality of product or output. Second, 360-degree peer assessment extends this by evaluating both the product and the quality of the feedback provided. Third, the individual peer assessment of contributions (IPAC) methodology focuses on assessing individual contributions, teamwork behaviours, and professional competences within group work. The chapter outlines the benefits, challenges and best practices associated with each modality of peer assessment and offers guidance for effective implementation. It is intended to support new and established practitioners seeking to implement effective peer assessment and enhance students’ engagement, accountability, and competence development.
Author Biographies
Pilar Garcia-Souto, Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
Garcia-Souto, Pilar (0000-0002-8222-8329) is a Professor (Teaching) at University College London, UK. Her primary research interest is teamwork; she led the system development for the Individual Peer Assessment of Contribution to teamwork (IPAC). She co-led the Biomedical Engineering programme development 2014-2020 and directs the Medical Physics bachelor and master programmes since 2021.
Arsam Shiraz, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
Shiraz, Arsam (0000-0003-1732-1401) is an Associate Professor (Teaching) in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at University College London, UK. His pedagogical research interests include problem and project-based learning in teams. He is currently the Chair of Undergraduate Board of Examiners and the Postgraduate Teaching Assistant Coordinator in the Department.
Ademola Odunsi, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
Odunsi, Ademola (0009-0009-8321-9406) is an Associate Professor (Teaching) in Chemical Engineering at University College London, UK, and Programme Director for the MSc in Sustainable Chemical Process Engineering. His pedagogical research spans sustainable teaching and learning, teamwork, peer assessment, and ethics. He also reviews for the journal Education for Chemical Engineers.
Esther Ventura-Medina, Eindhoven School of Education, Faculty of Applied Physics and Science Education, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Ventura-Medina, Esther (0000-0002-1041-945X) is a Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands, with over 25 years of experience in teaching chemical engineering and doing engineering education research. Her research interests focus on how students learn and develop skills and competencies while working in teams and digital environments.
Will Newton, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Swansea University, United Kingdom
Newton, Will (0000-0001-8753-8409) is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Programme Director at Swansea University, UK. His research focuses on how design is taught and learned, with emphasis on teamwork, design thinking, visualisation, and sketching. He has contributed to engineering education through programme leadership and curriculum development.
Justin Siefker, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
Siefker, Justin (0009-0009-9599-0337) is a Lecturer (Teaching) in Chemical Engineering at University College London, UK. His pedagogical research explores the learning of engineering in-practice, with particular interest in project- and team-based learning and curricular integration. He implements diverse peer-assessment methods and champions the Individual Peer Assessment of Contribution (IPAC) methodology.
Published
August 26, 2026
Copyright (c) 2026 Gillian Saunders-Smits, Lynn Van den Broeck, Thies Johannsen
How to Cite
Garcia-Souto, P., Shiraz, A., Odunsi, A., Ventura-Medina, E., Newton, W. ., & Siefker, J. (2026). Peer Assessment. In
SEFI Handbook on Teaching Transferable Competencies and Skills in Engineering (pp. 473-492). TU Delft OPEN Books.
https://doi.org/10.59490/mt.266.77
