What do *I*, as a student, think of my own work? Using summative self-assessment in a large technical module

Self-assessment is a reflective practice enabling learners to evaluate their understanding (McMillan and Hearn, 2008). When fostering metacognitive processes, it can enhance learning by improving intrinsic motivation, understanding and learning strategies (Stanton, Sebesta and Dunlosky, 2021). The benefits for using self-assessment as a summative practice remains debated (for example, Andrade, 2019; Nieminen and Tuohilampi, 2020a; León, Panadero and García-Martínez, 2023). This paper presents the results of a summative self-assessment, on an undergraduate, larger (>100 students), technical module. The developed assessment on the module required submission of a critical self-assessment report around the technical work (i.e., portfolio) completed by students. Along with self-assessment, a combination of contract and negotiated marking was included into the assessment to encourage students’ early engagement with learning. It required completing weekly tutorials, a mid-term formative assessment, and submission of portfolio for an exhibition. The summative self-assessment comprised of a reflective, critical report around student engagement with learning as well as the quality of their completed portfolio. This paper outlines the thematic analysis of the interviews and survey results of the learners. It highlights the perceived benefits and concerns voiced around a summative self-assessment. Some of the results highlight the reduction in stress levels and greater depth of critical assessment of students’ own work. The paper offers practitioners an example on integrating summative self-assessment into teaching by [a] combining elements of contract assessment and negotiated marking, and [b] providing space for students to explore individual learning paths scaffolded through feedback.