Why is anonymous assessment good?
Anonymous assessment helps you as a teacher to reduce the risk of your preconceived notions affecting the assessment. This provides security for both teachers and students. It also makes student representatives less vulnerable.
Counteract the risk that the teacher's preconceived notions affect the assessment
Anonymous assessment counteracts the risk that the teacher's preconceived notions affect the the assessment of student performance. This applies to both positive and negative preconceptions. It's hard to completely avoid having preconceived notions, but if you're unaware of these and let them affect how you treat or judge a person, it can cause problems. As an examining teacher, you are in a position of power towards your students, and it is important to create the best possible conditions to avoid judging their performance unfairly.
Security for both teachers and students
Even if you as a teacher are aware of what preconceptions you have, it can be difficult to avoid them affecting your assessment. Anonymous assessment is therefore not only a security for the students but also for you as a teacher or examiner. It can help you as a teacher feel more confident that you do not unconsciously let positive or negative preconceived notions affect the assessment. Most teachers do not want to let any prejudices affect the assessment, either positively or negatively.
Student representatives should not feel like they are treated negatively
Anonymous assessment can help student representatives feel safer and less worried about being treated differently because of their involvement in, for example, a course committee. Students who engage and criticise the education in the role of student representative feel insecure in how this may affect their grades. By anonymising more assessment elements, student representatives can experience less vulnerability.