ENGAGING LEARNERS IN THEIR STUDIES VIA FEEDBACK (original) (raw)
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Student engagement and the role of feedback in learning
Using an historical approach the intention of this paper is to identify from the literature better practice in feedback. Assessment is an essential element in the learning cycle, and is central to an understanding of how learning outcomes are achieved. It is through their assessments that we come to know our students, if our teaching has been successful and plays a significant role in determining the students' success. However, unlike the teaching process, assessment does not have the same dialogic element that learning and teaching now has. While feedback is a key element in formative assessment, we do not know how our feedback is understood by the learner, or what meaning they make of it. What makes good feedback, and how do we ensure that learners can understand and act upon it? The current language of learning and teaching is underscored with the concept of student engagement with the curriculum. However, the language of assessment often remains in the realm of judgement and the way it is conveyed is clearly in the transmission model of teaching where rigidity, standards and rules stand in place of dialogue, flexibility and learner centeredness.
Engaging Students: Student Preferences for Feedback
… . Proceedings HERDSA 2008, 2008
The provision of effective and high quality feedback has been identified as a key element of quality teaching, particularly for its role in engaging students. Rowe and Wood (2008b) developed a survey to explore student perceptions and preferences for feedback. The survey was distributed to a large cohort of undergraduate and postgraduate students at two Australian universities. The authors identified two feedback preference dimensions, which appeared to reflect two learning approaches, 'surface' and 'deep' as conceptualised by Biggs (2003) and others. Demographic variables were found to be poor predictors of student preferences for feedback. Surprisingly, one quarter of students surveyed said that they received none or rarely received any feedback. This suggests much improvement is needed in the provision of feedback; however, it may be that students sometimes fail to recognise feedback when they receive it. Results indicate that students want more engagement from teaching staff; specifically they want the provision of feedback to be made more personalised.
Clearing the Final Hurdle: Getting Students to Engage with Feedback in Higher Education
2021
Higher Education within the UK over the last fifty years has increasingly been defined by the end product and this means that both students and lecturers tend to focus on the outcome rather than the process. For many students this means that assessments are seen as barriers to their final grade, rather than as a support to help them reflect on their performance. The purpose of this paper is to explore how students can become more engaged with the comments made on assessments. It concludes by suggesting that whilst audio feedback has proved to be successful in this respect, video feedback might well be an even better way of encouraging students to listen to what they are being told and then improve subsequent work.
Towards effective feedback in higher education: bridging theory and practice
Giving feedback is an important skill for lecturers in higher education and has a major influence on the quality of learning . However, it appears that, in its practical application, not all feedback is equally effective. This is a problem which applies to both students and lecturers. In working towards more effective feedback in higher education, Sadler's framework (1983, 1989, 2010) can prove a source of inspiration. Sadler posits three conditions for achieving effective and efficient feedback in classroom practice. The first condition refers to the necessity of drawing up assessment criteria and making sure students are familiar with them. The second condition posits that feedback has to include a comparison between the actual level of the product and the expected level. The last condition suggests that feedback has to include information that can help students to improve assignments. In this article we examine the various forms and conditions of feedback in more depth, with the emphasis on the practical application of theory. We also focus in detail on various aspects of how best to guide and supervise students that have been shown to have an important influence on making feedback more effective. Geyskens, J., Donche, V.
Enhancing Student Learning by Narrowing the Gap Between Feedback Giving and Feedback Receiving
Proceedings of the 3rd Teaching & Education Conference, 2016
Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement. However the mere provision of feedback to students does not necessarily lead to improved learning. Feedback is ineffective if it does not close the gap between learning goals and students' performance. Often students do not have clear goals and they do not know what learning activities will improve their learning performance. Consequently the opportunity to learn from the feedback is lost. Learning is a social process and while young people have increasingly strong social needs they struggle with academic language. This study investigates the influence of lecturers' feedback on students' learning and whether first year electronic engineering students at the Institute of Technology Tallaght Dublin (ITTD) benefit from a peer evaluation environment where students are enabled to detect and communicate quality criteria for specific coursework. A qualitative approach is used to capture students' views. The results show that the opportunity to learn from lecturer feedback is not fully utilised. Instead learning is best achieved interactively and in a non-threatening environment. Students willingly engage in both giving and receiving feedback and clarifying misunderstandings and they show improved motivation. Engagement in a guided peer feedback environment additionally improves self-regulation, critical thinking skills and communications.
International journal of learning, teaching and educational research/International Journal of learning, teaching and educational research, 2024
This study explores the dynamics of feedback quality from the perspectives of professors and its profound impact on the motivation and engagement of undergraduate students. Drawing upon insights from a diverse group of professors representing 12 different countries, this study employs a meticulously designed qualitative methodology, facilitating a thorough exploration of the connections between feedback processes and student outcomes through an interpretive lens. Notably, our findings emphasize the transformative potential of constructive feedback when supported by contemporary pedagogical approaches. The study reveals the challenges educators face in delivering comprehensive feedback while also highlighting themes such as a commitment to continuous professional development, a preference for face-to-face interactions over technological advancements, and the transformative impact of the feedback process on personal growth. Additionally, the participants' recommendations align with broader pedagogical principles, emphasizing relationship building, perceiving feedback as an opportunity for improvement, fostering accessibility, continuous professional development, and creating psychological safety within the classroom. These recommendations provide practical insights for educators, guiding them to enhance their practices and cultivate supportive learning environments.
2011
This case study reports on a recent module evaluation of the Engaging and Enhancing Student Learning (EESL) module. This module forms part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) at the University of Salford and is offered mainly to new academics and other professionals who support learning. The EESL module aims to introduce participants to teaching and learning in HE, and is aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework (UK PSF). It is delivered over 10 weeks, including eight face-to-face workshops and two online weekly seminars. Active, collaborative and technology-enhanced learning are coupled with more creative and experimental approaches. The development of reflective skills is enabled through peer, mentor and tutor observations and feedback conversations and reflective accounts. Participants are invited to experiment in a safe environment and within a learning community with ideas and concepts, to challenge their own beliefs linked to teaching and l...
THE VALUE AND TOPICALITY OF FEEDBACK IN IMPROVING THE LEARNING PROCESS
2020
Feedback delivery is an integral part of the learning process, which provides an effective teaching and learning process. Although students are primarily targeted to get a mark, there are a number of strategies that can be used to maximise students' involvement in the learning process, including providing effective feedback. Purposeful use of feedback through the pedagogical process contributes to a more active involvement of students by developing metacognitive skills (Nicol & Draper, 2008). It is important to encourage students, in the learning process and outside it, to ensure reflection on feedback comments and to give preliminary assessment (Taras, 2003). The aim of the article is to update the importance of feedback in the pedagogical process by identifying theoretical regularity in the interpretation of the concept of feedback, as well as undertaking empirical research to clarify students' views on feedback and the effectiveness of its application in the learning process.
Effectiveness and relevance of feedback in Higher Education: A study of undergraduate students
Studies in Educational Evaluation, 2016
This paper draws upon a wider study on assessment in higher education. It focuses on students' perceptions of the effectiveness and relevance of feedback in regard to assessment methods and self-regulation of learning. In total, 605 undergraduates participated in the study from five Portuguese public universities. Data were collected through questionnaires with open and closedended questions. Results revealed that feedback is perceived as more relevant, effective and in a more positive way by students who are assessed by learner-centred methods than by those assessed by traditional methods. Also, participants who are assessed by learner-centred methods or mixed methods perceived feedback as more effective in all phases of self-regulation learning than students who are assessed by traditional methods. Implications of the findings for feedback and assessment in Higher Education are discussed.
Nurse Education Today, 2019
Objective: Feedback is a fundamental factor within the learning process for students. However, it is widely known that students generally report that feedback is done suboptimally in higher education. Therefore, this systematic review aims to identify students' needs and preferences for academic feedback in higher education. Design, Data sources, review methods: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA Statement Guidelines. Electronic databases were searched using a range of keywords and the findings were integrated in a narrative synthesis. Quality appraisal was undertaken. Results: 5884 articles were retrieved, and 36 papers included. Three themes emerged across a wide range of academic disciplines which included: 1) preferences for feedback, 2) multimodality feedback and 3) emotional impact. Overall, quality feedback was related to the timeliness of feedback; balance between positive and constructive comments; direct feedback on content; linguistic clarity and legibility; grade justification and feeding forward. Conclusion: This review has informed several important implications for practice uniquely from the students' perspectives. Educators are encouraged to implement the evidence-based preferences for student feedback in their daily practice. Students value multimodality feedback which is personalised to enable students to feed forward in their own individual learning journeys. Future research should explore whether demographic variables influence student feedback needs over time. We would recommend that future studies need to employ a rigorous methodology to avoid the shortcomings in the studies already conducted in this area.