Making evaluative legal judgements
Law students’ experiences of criteria-based scoring and comparative judgement
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22419355 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kjetil Egelandsdal (0000-0003-2301-4563, University of Bergen, corresponding author), Guri Lindblad (University of Bergen), Eva Hartell (0000-0002-8889-2562, KTH Royal Institute of Technology), Jan-Ove Færstad (University of Bergen) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-21 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-25 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0969-594X • E-ISSN: 1465-329X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0969594x.2026.2692983 |
| OpenAlex | W7165911721 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 23 |
This study examines second-year law students’ experiences of evaluating administrative decisions across two successive course implementations. In 2023 (N=250), students were randomly assigned to either an Independent Scoring Format (ISF), where they rated individual decisions, or Comparative Judgement (CJ), where they compared pairs of decisions. Post-activity survey data, including open-ended responses, were analysed for both groups. In 2024 (N=270), Adaptive Comparative Judgement (ACJ) was introduced with a larger pool of decisions and structured written justifications. Ratings of perceived usefulness were positive, with no statistically significant differences between CJ and ISF. The qualitative analysis suggests that comparative formats supported learning through contrast and prioritisation, while ISF highlighted difficulties in applying overlapping criteria consistently to individual texts. ACJ made students’ grounds for preference more explicit, but also increased cognitive demand, underscoring the need for scaffolding and calibration. The findings inform the design of formative assessment for fostering evaluative judgement in legal education.
Clinical judgement · Cognition · Formative assessment · Judgement · Preference · Qualitative research · Legal Education and Practice Innovations · Legal Issues in Education · Student Assessment and Feedback
Developing evaluative judgement
Developing the theory of formative assessment
Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems
The Complexity of Comparative Judgments in Assessing Argumentative Writing
Aligning assessment with long‐term learning
Rethinking feedback practices in higher education
Developing evaluative judgement for a time of generative artificial intelligence
Constructive guidance and feedback for learning
Exploring the practical feasibility of adaptive comparative judgment as a summative assessment method
Indeterminacy in the use of preset criteria for assessment and grading
The development of student feedback literacy
The Question of Comparison
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Formative assessment and self-regulated learning
| Highly cited | No |
|---|