How feedback is being reshaped and rethought€¦ · feedback can be interpreted as symptoms of impoverished and fractured dialogue. Mass higher education is squeezing out dialogue

$Page 1: How feedback is being reshaped and rethought€¦ · feedback can be interpreted as symptoms of impoverished and fractured dialogue. Mass higher education is squeezing out dialogue$
ENHANCING FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS IN TIMES OF CONSTRAINED RESOURCES Dai Hounsell, University of Edinburgh, May 2011

How feedback is being reshaped and rethought DAI HOUNSELL UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

University of Stirling, 17 May 2011

www.tla.ed.ac.uk/feedback.htm


OVERVIEW

The Trouble

with Feedback

Enhancing Feedback: A Strategic Approach

Feedback Fundamentals

Feedback That Makes More of

a Difference


The Trouble

with Feedback


THE TROUBLE WITH FEEDBACK�� Reviewing the evidence on students' concerns

1.  Pervasive evidence of wide-ranging student concerns about feedback

•  quantity • frequency • consistency

•  quality • helpfulness • distance/interaction

•  promptness transparency/accessibility


THE TROUBLE WITH FEEDBACK�� Reviewing the evidence on students' concerns

2. The evidence spans subjects, institutions, national systems of higher education

  evidence from the UK

e.g. National Student Survey (2005-); QAA Learning from Subject Review (2006); Crook et al. (2006); Maclellan, (2001); Hounsell (2003); Hounsell et al. (2005); Beaumont et al. (2008)

  evidence from Australia and Hong Kong

e.g. Krause et al. (2005); Carless (2006, 2010))




THE TROUBLE WITH FEEDBACK��Feedback Quartiles By Subject Area – NSS, 2009/10


THE TROUBLE WITH FEEDBACK�� Why does feedback fall short ?

The mass H.E. system

Management of feedback

Organisational culture

Student survey methodologies

Currency of feedback methods

Definitions

Beliefs about students and learning

a

Unrealistic student expectations


THE TROUBLE WITH FEEDBACK�� THE CONSEQUENCES OF MASS HIGHER EDUCATION

  more (and more diverse) students, leaner unit funding

  fewer tutorials/practicals, in larger groups

  switch from state ‘sponsorship’ of students to self-financing

  reduced opportunities for interaction — both informal & formal, student-staff & student-student e.g.

  students in part-time work/long commutes/with dependents

  heightened pressures on staff/’institutionalised distraction’ (Trow)

  declining role of the departmental ‘home’

  fewer coursework & low-stakes assignments

  semesterised, ‘end-loaded’ assessment

  casualisation of teaching, patchily supported & overseen


FEEDBACK'S MANY PURPOSES��FEEDBACK AND DIALOGUE

"The many diverse expressions of dissatisfaction with written feedback can be interpreted as symptoms of impoverished and fractured dialogue. Mass higher education is squeezing out dialogue with the result that written feedback, which is essentially a monologue, is now having to carry much of the burden of teacher-student interaction."

(Nicol, 2010)


Feedback Fundamentals


FUNDAMENTALS OF FEEDBACK ��What forms does feedback take?

pro forma written comments exemplars exams guidance feedforward traditional collaboration on-display learning peer audio past questions screencast whole-class clickers in-class assignments cumulative editing anticipatory feedback elective self co-revision e-feedback redrafting reviewing progress criteria dialogue supervision interaction

briefing student involvement faster feedback model answers training video online


FUNDAMENTALS OF FEEDBACK ��

What is 'feedback' and why does it matter?

•  Feedback comprises information, processes, activities or experiences which aim to encapsulate, enable or boost students' learning

•  Feedback can focus on:

attainment what a student knows, understands or can do at a given point in time

progress where a student currently stands in relation to a specified goal, target or level

achievement what a student has achieved as demonstrated in a completed assignment or task


FUNDAMENTALS OF FEEDBACK��

What is 'feedback' and why does it matter?

•  Why feedback matters

–  learning without feedback is 'blind archery'

–  feedback is indispensable to effective teaching and assessment, optimising the conditions under which each student can achieve their best



Who gives feedback, where and when ?

•  Sources of feedback –  Lecturers, tutors, demonstrators, supervisors, mentors

–  Fellow-students / peers, a student’s own reflections

–  The audience for a seminar or poster presentation, professional practitioners

•  Feedback where and when?

formally informally

in timetabled classes / online outwith timetabled classes / offline

intrinsic extrinsic

prior to a task or activity during a task or activity after a task or activity



FEEDBACK'S MANY PURPOSES


FEEDBACK'S MANY PURPOSES��FEEDBACK AND CONNOISSEURSHIP

"[Students] need to learn to discover what quality looks and feels like, and the aspects – whether large or small – that

detract from it. They need to develop a vocabulary for expressing and communicating what they find. Furthermore,

they should gradually attune their growing realisations and

discourse to the norms of the discipline, field or profession"

(Sadler, 2010)


FEEDBACK'S MANY PURPOSES��FEEDBACK, DIALOGUE & ENGAGEMENT

"Enabling students must involve dialogue to help them to understand and use feedback, with the wider aim of developing students' self-evaluative[and self-regulating skills ...including an ability to seek advice and ask questions where appropriate.

The process of engagement needs staff and students to share and develop a greater understanding of the complexity of feedback processes, and of what can be expected from all parties in this process."

SHORTENED & EDITED QUOTE Price, Handley & Millar (2011)

[in press, Studies in Higher Education]


Enhancing Feedback:

A Strategic Approach


Strategic approach to enhancing feedback


1.  Feedback is integral to course design. Every course and programme will provide opportunities for students to get feedback on their performance and achievements.

2.  Feedback will be prompt, informative and helpful. 3.  Course and programme documentation must inform students when, where

and how feedback is offered in the course concerned. 4.  Assessment expectations, standards and marking criteria will be clearly

communicated to students, with opportunities for discussion, to enable them to understand and interpret feedback

5.  All students are expected to take careful note of feedback and to make good use of it in their learning

6.  All teachers and assessors are expected to give feedback effectively, and to reflect on, review and update their expertise

7.  The provision of feedback must be regularly monitored in quality assurance procedures and appropriate action taken to address concerns raised.

University of Edinburgh

FEEDBACK STANDARDS






Feedback That Makes More of a Difference


FEEDBACK THAT MAKES MORE OF A DIFFERENCE��

Enhancing students' grasp of feedback & standards ��

•  Elective feedback

•  Exemplars

•  Peer and self-generated feedback



Enhancing students' grasp of feedback & standards ��


•  Exemplars




FEEDBACK THAT MAKES MORE OF A DIFFERENCE ��

Greater opportunities to put feedback to good use ��

From feedback to feedforward

– 'feedback-first' and draft/revise/resubmit assignments

–  cumulative assignments

(Beaumont et al 2008)



Boosting the availability & richness of feedback��

•  Generic and whole-class feedback

•  On-display learning

•  Collaborative tasks & activities


OBSERVATION AS A PROXY FOR FEEDBACK

c. Giving the Talk

d. Questions and Discussion

a. Prior Experiences of

Presenting

b. Tutors' Guidance on Presenting

f. Learning from Others'

Presentations

g. Developing a Personal Style

e. Feedback



Recycling and refocusing guidance & feedback ��

•  Screencasts and off-the-shelf guidance

•  Recycled online feedback comments



What feedback approach could you/your colleagues ��make more use of in your teaching ?


•  Exemplars


• Feedforward

– 'feedback-first' and draft/revise/ resubmit assignments

– cumulative assignments

•  Generic and whole-class feedback

•  On-display learning

•  Collaborative tasks & activities

•  Screencasts and off-the-shelf guidance

•  Recycled online feedback comments

Documents

How feedback is being reshaped and rethought€¦ · feedback can be interpreted as symptoms of impoverished and fractured dialogue. Mass higher education is squeezing out dialogue