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Papers by Edd Pitt

Owing to the increasing diversity of assessments in higher education, feedback should be provided... more Owing to the increasing diversity of assessments in higher education, feedback should be provided to students in a format that can assist future and alternative work. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Essay Feedback Checklist on future alternative assessments. Participants were assigned to one of two groups, one of which completed the checklist prior to assessment 1 (essay) and received feedback using this method. Attainment on assessment 1 and assessment 2 (examination) were taken as pre- and post-test scores. Results revealed increased assessment scores for the checklist group, compared to those who received conventional feedback. Focus group data indicated that students particularly liked elements of the checklist as a feedback method, but potential drawbacks were also highlighted. Implications and future use of the checklist is then discussed.

Active Learning in Higher Education, Mar 2010

This project examined the relationships between students' approaches to study, conceptions of lea... more This project examined the relationships between students' approaches to study, conceptions of learning and judgements about the value of networked technologies. For the project 144 first-year students completed the 52-item Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST), and a series of focus group interviews was used to assess attitudes towards the use of networked technologies within a blended curriculum. Significant positive associations were found between both deep and strategic approaches to study and students' perceptions of networked learning, and negative associations with a surface approach. Students were positive about the incorporation of technology but had some concerns about the time needed to become sufficiently competent. They demonstrated a reflective approach and exhibited a broad view of the ways in which knowledge might be interpreted. The online forum was viewed as a site where they could benefit from sharing of personal experiences. Recommendations are offered for designing a blended curriculum.

Writing in an academically literate way is central to the culture of Higher Education, and assess... more Writing in an academically literate way is central to the culture of Higher Education, and assessment is often the point at which students are required to demonstrate their cultural competence in this area. Difficulties with writing thus represent significant obstacles to achievement, and helping students succeed involves providing learning opportunities that support the development of an academic understanding of and approach to writing.

Conference Presentations by Edd Pitt

This paper proposes a conceptual cyclical assessment and feedback model which attempts to further... more This paper proposes a conceptual cyclical assessment and feedback model which attempts to further understand the problematic nature of feedback within higher education. Whilst at University students experience many instances of feedback on their work. Quite often such feedback is facilitated by academic lecturers via a monologic transmission process, in the hope that the student will utilise this and improve in their next assessment. Frequently lecturers report that feedback does not always have the desired effect of improving a student’s subsequent performance (Hounsell, 1987). It also appears that the student’s emotional response, motivation, self-confidence and subsequent effort deployment in future assessments following feedback is unpredictable and warrants further consideration. In response to such problems, the present research explored student’s experiences of assessment and feedback from a phenomenographic perspective. Twenty undergraduate social sciences students, studying at an English University were asked to pictorially represent their experiences of assessment and feedback and participate in a 1-2-1 interview. The interview data were subjected to thematic data analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and revealed 8 main themes (Lecturers, Emotions, Feedback Cognitions, Efficacy Cognitions, Draft Work, Motivation, Effort and Grades). The findings from this analysis indicate a multifaceted interpretation of the student experience and as such a six stage conceptual cyclical assessment and feedback model is proposed. The conceptual model indicates that a student’s achievement outcome, relative to their pre-determined expectation level, regulates their emotional reaction and subsequent feedback related cognitions. The phenomenographic outcome space (Åkerlind, 2002) revealed five categories of description (broken relationship, needy, low achiever, emotionally charged and high achiever). The structure of the variation indicates a hierarchically inclusive pattern, representing how varying forms of behaviour and emotional reactions interact to affect the students processing and subsequent utilisation of the feedback received. The results of the study also suggest that grade outcome was a powerful construct which seemed to foster both adaptive and maladaptive emotions and behaviours. In conclusion the study suggests that understanding students’ individual needs through fostering lecturer and student relationships, alongside dialogic feedback, helps to improve students’ propensity to utilise the feedback received.

Feedback is evaluative and provides a student with knowledge of their performance in a given task... more Feedback is evaluative and provides a student with knowledge of their performance in a given task (Hounsell, 1987). Feedback is usually given by academics to facilitate a students improvement (Hester, 2001), yet often it does not have the desired effect and is unpredictable in terms of enhancing a
students motivation, self-confidence and subsequent effort in future assessments (Young, 2000). The present study analysed social science students’ (n=18) conceptions of feedback through the use of drawings (Kearney & Hyle, 2003) and semi-structured interviews. Eight broad dimensions were revealed from the data, suggesting varied conceptions of feedback within the participant group. Delegates will be presented with selected examples of students conceptions of feedback. Implications for practitioners when giving students feedback, to improve the student learning
experience will also be discussed.

By its very nature feedback is evaluative and provides a student with knowledge of their performa... more By its very nature feedback is evaluative and provides a student with knowledge of their performance in a given task (Hounsell, 1987). Feedback is usually given by teaching staff to facilitate a student's improvement (Hester, 2001), yet often it does not have the desired effect. Reasons put forward include students' lack of understanding of feedback (Chesworth, 2000), and disappointment with quantity of useful feedback (Spinks, 1998). The effect that feedback has upon a particular student is unpredictable in terms of enhancing a student's motivation, self-confidence and subsequent effort in future assessments (Young, 2000). This ‘unpredictability' is the focus of the conference paper. The study sought to explore science undergraduates' experiences of feedback by focussing on their emotional reactions to it. The sometimes undervalued and unexplored roles of students' emotions within learning contexts have in recent times received attention within the literature (Ingleton 1999; Taylor 2001; Schutz and DeCuir 2002), but to the author's knowledge very little research has explored the effects of emotions on receiving and acting upon assessed work feedback. Quite often such emotional reactions influence how students process and act on the feedback they have been given. The present study was designed to analyse how students responded emotionally to feedback by using drawings (Kearney & Hyle, 2003) as a device to enable students to talk freely in an interview about assessment situations. Initial findings from the rich analyses of 8 in-depth interviews will be presented and delegates invited to discuss the implications for practitioners when giving students feedback.

Owing to the increasing diversity of assessments in higher education, feedback should be provided... more Owing to the increasing diversity of assessments in higher education, feedback should be provided to students in a format that can assist future and alternative work. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Essay Feedback Checklist on future alternative assessments. Participants were assigned to one of two groups, one of which completed the checklist prior to assessment 1 (essay) and received feedback using this method. Attainment on assessment 1 and assessment 2 (examination) were taken as pre- and post-test scores. Results revealed increased assessment scores for the checklist group, compared to those who received conventional feedback. Focus group data indicated that students particularly liked elements of the checklist as a feedback method, but potential drawbacks were also highlighted. Implications and future use of the checklist is then discussed.

Active Learning in Higher Education, Mar 2010

This project examined the relationships between students' approaches to study, conceptions of lea... more This project examined the relationships between students' approaches to study, conceptions of learning and judgements about the value of networked technologies. For the project 144 first-year students completed the 52-item Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST), and a series of focus group interviews was used to assess attitudes towards the use of networked technologies within a blended curriculum. Significant positive associations were found between both deep and strategic approaches to study and students' perceptions of networked learning, and negative associations with a surface approach. Students were positive about the incorporation of technology but had some concerns about the time needed to become sufficiently competent. They demonstrated a reflective approach and exhibited a broad view of the ways in which knowledge might be interpreted. The online forum was viewed as a site where they could benefit from sharing of personal experiences. Recommendations are offered for designing a blended curriculum.

Writing in an academically literate way is central to the culture of Higher Education, and assess... more Writing in an academically literate way is central to the culture of Higher Education, and assessment is often the point at which students are required to demonstrate their cultural competence in this area. Difficulties with writing thus represent significant obstacles to achievement, and helping students succeed involves providing learning opportunities that support the development of an academic understanding of and approach to writing.

This paper proposes a conceptual cyclical assessment and feedback model which attempts to further... more This paper proposes a conceptual cyclical assessment and feedback model which attempts to further understand the problematic nature of feedback within higher education. Whilst at University students experience many instances of feedback on their work. Quite often such feedback is facilitated by academic lecturers via a monologic transmission process, in the hope that the student will utilise this and improve in their next assessment. Frequently lecturers report that feedback does not always have the desired effect of improving a student’s subsequent performance (Hounsell, 1987). It also appears that the student’s emotional response, motivation, self-confidence and subsequent effort deployment in future assessments following feedback is unpredictable and warrants further consideration. In response to such problems, the present research explored student’s experiences of assessment and feedback from a phenomenographic perspective. Twenty undergraduate social sciences students, studying at an English University were asked to pictorially represent their experiences of assessment and feedback and participate in a 1-2-1 interview. The interview data were subjected to thematic data analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and revealed 8 main themes (Lecturers, Emotions, Feedback Cognitions, Efficacy Cognitions, Draft Work, Motivation, Effort and Grades). The findings from this analysis indicate a multifaceted interpretation of the student experience and as such a six stage conceptual cyclical assessment and feedback model is proposed. The conceptual model indicates that a student’s achievement outcome, relative to their pre-determined expectation level, regulates their emotional reaction and subsequent feedback related cognitions. The phenomenographic outcome space (Åkerlind, 2002) revealed five categories of description (broken relationship, needy, low achiever, emotionally charged and high achiever). The structure of the variation indicates a hierarchically inclusive pattern, representing how varying forms of behaviour and emotional reactions interact to affect the students processing and subsequent utilisation of the feedback received. The results of the study also suggest that grade outcome was a powerful construct which seemed to foster both adaptive and maladaptive emotions and behaviours. In conclusion the study suggests that understanding students’ individual needs through fostering lecturer and student relationships, alongside dialogic feedback, helps to improve students’ propensity to utilise the feedback received.

Feedback is evaluative and provides a student with knowledge of their performance in a given task... more Feedback is evaluative and provides a student with knowledge of their performance in a given task (Hounsell, 1987). Feedback is usually given by academics to facilitate a students improvement (Hester, 2001), yet often it does not have the desired effect and is unpredictable in terms of enhancing a
students motivation, self-confidence and subsequent effort in future assessments (Young, 2000). The present study analysed social science students’ (n=18) conceptions of feedback through the use of drawings (Kearney & Hyle, 2003) and semi-structured interviews. Eight broad dimensions were revealed from the data, suggesting varied conceptions of feedback within the participant group. Delegates will be presented with selected examples of students conceptions of feedback. Implications for practitioners when giving students feedback, to improve the student learning
experience will also be discussed.

By its very nature feedback is evaluative and provides a student with knowledge of their performa... more By its very nature feedback is evaluative and provides a student with knowledge of their performance in a given task (Hounsell, 1987). Feedback is usually given by teaching staff to facilitate a student's improvement (Hester, 2001), yet often it does not have the desired effect. Reasons put forward include students' lack of understanding of feedback (Chesworth, 2000), and disappointment with quantity of useful feedback (Spinks, 1998). The effect that feedback has upon a particular student is unpredictable in terms of enhancing a student's motivation, self-confidence and subsequent effort in future assessments (Young, 2000). This ‘unpredictability' is the focus of the conference paper. The study sought to explore science undergraduates' experiences of feedback by focussing on their emotional reactions to it. The sometimes undervalued and unexplored roles of students' emotions within learning contexts have in recent times received attention within the literature (Ingleton 1999; Taylor 2001; Schutz and DeCuir 2002), but to the author's knowledge very little research has explored the effects of emotions on receiving and acting upon assessed work feedback. Quite often such emotional reactions influence how students process and act on the feedback they have been given. The present study was designed to analyse how students responded emotionally to feedback by using drawings (Kearney & Hyle, 2003) as a device to enable students to talk freely in an interview about assessment situations. Initial findings from the rich analyses of 8 in-depth interviews will be presented and delegates invited to discuss the implications for practitioners when giving students feedback.