The Contribution of Collaborative Assessment of Classroom Participation to Learners’ Sense of Classroom Community Hadi Farjami, Mozhgan Jangi Associate Professor at Semnan University, Department of English Language and Literature, Email: hfarjami@semnan.ac.ir , M.A. Student of TEFL at Semnan University, Department of English Language and Literature, Email: m.jangi@semnan.ac.ir Abstract. In the past few decades, the importance of a sense of classroom community (SCC) in learning environments has gained momentum. It is believed that there is a strong bond between students’ SCC and their classroom interaction and cooperation. SCC and the importance of st udents’ collaboration in learning and assessment are well documented in online environments; however, these issues have largely been overlooked in traditional settings. To fill this gap, the current study investigated the effect of collaborative assessment (CA) of students’ classroom participation (CP) on their SCC in face-to-face classes. In carrying out this investigation, 18 Iranian intermediate EFL learners of an institute were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group with 9 students in each. During 16 sessions, the control group received only conventional instructions while the experimental group additionally engaged in five pair or group activities in each session and had 6 class discussions followed by self- and peer assessments. Two whole-class meetings were also held in which the students collaborated with their teacher to assign scores to learners’ participation. To measure learners’ SCC, Rovai’s (2002) Classroom Community Scale (CCS) was administered to them after the treatment. The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on this scale. Hence, CA is recommended as it enhances student autonomy and SCC. Keywords: Classroom Participation (CP), Collaborative Assessment (CA), Peer Assessment, Self-assessment, Sense of Classroom Community (SCC) 1 Introduction Sense of Community Theory which was originally founded by McMillan and Chavis (1986) in social psychology has become the framework of many models and instruments in educational contexts. By emphasizing the feelings of connectedness and shared responsibilities among community members, SCC resembles socio-constructivist theories according to which “knowledge is constructed in the mind of the learner” (Bodner, 1986) by means of “interactions within a cultural and historical context” (De Valenzuela, 2006). Rovai (2002) believes that interaction among the learners is the key element of classroom community since learning occurs through the learners’ active participation in class activities. However, grading students’ participation is a subjective matter due to the fact that some students are shy or introverted (Jacobs & Chase, 1992). One type of assessment by which the students can have a monumental influence on their own learning is collaborative assessment (CA) (Fahim, Miri & Najafi, 2014). Although assessment techniques have been increasingly used to evaluate students’ learning outcomes, some researchers have argued that assessment as a learning tool has not received enough attention (e.g. Gardner, 1999; Chau, 2005). In Iran, the concepts of CA and SCC have been addressed by a few studies and their relation has never been the focus of research. 2 Review of literature 2.1 Sense of Classroom Community McMillan and Chavis (1986) define sense of community as “a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together” (p. 9). Rovai and Lucking (2000, 2003) explained SCC as a feeling of personal relatedness that makes the learners do their duties to the whole class and struggle together to achieve common goals. According to Kim, Solomon & Roberts (1995), the learners’ interaction and participation in class activities especially discussions in which the learners’ opinions are welcomed and valued increases their