Providing Constructive Feedback

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Providing Constructive Feedback

• Associate Professor Rosanne Taylor
• OBTL Consultant to FSE
• 19th January 2006

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Intended outcomes

• 1. Review the role of feedback in learning from
  student and teacher perspectives
• 2. Discuss different forms of constructive
  feedback
• 3. Design effective feedback strategies for
  assessing course ILOs

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Learning and assessment- students perspective

• Assessment plays a pivotal role in promoting
  effective learning by influencing students
• Time on task
• Focus on what to learn (learning outcomes)
• Productive use of time (quality of engagement)
• Assessment defines the curriculum for students

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Feedback and learning

• The single MOST important factor that influences
  student achievement is FEEDBACK
• CEQ item that distinguishes good/bad courses
• staff normally give helpful feedback on how you
  are going
• Large and consistent effect of positive, timely
  feedback for encouraging learning
• Describe 3 ways that feedback helps your students

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Feedback- staff perspectives

• High strategic importance as a teaching activity
• Assessment costs gtgt teaching costs
• Negative effects (time, workload, boredom)
• Invisible workload
• Reflection on course, learning outcomes
• Plan carefully for greatest impact on learning
• BUT What do your students do with it? (discuss)

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Feedback- student perspectives

• Not used consistently
• (approx 30 students dont find it helpful)
• Feedback with marks is often not read
• Feedback can confuse, demoralise Feedback after
  assessment of topic is complete is ignored
• Feedback on poor work is often discarded

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Feedback- strategies

• All tasks....None
• Immediate............Later
• Formative.Summative
• Individual..Collective
• PeerTeacher
• Holistic..Fragmented
• CommentsMarks
• Standards-basedNorm-referenced

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Feedback strategies that work

• Be positive
• Praise, question, prompt (PQP)
• Be timely
• Peer feedback in class before submission
• 2 stage assignments- feedback on stage 1 only
• Online- automated feedback, email/blackboard
• Be clear
• Assessment guide and discussion
• Model answers, detailed whole class feedback
• Be strategic
• Randomize or target those most in need
• Ask students to specify 2 areas for feedback
• Feedback to group on best compiled answer
• Prepare students to use feedback
• Require self assessment prior to feedback
• Require students to demonstrate they used
  feedback

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Planning feedback- using ILOs

• \

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Using feedback in OBTL

• Anchor constructive feedback to ILOs
• Use TIMELY constructive feedback to
• develop understanding by explanation
• recognise achievement of ILOs
• reward transformation, not accumulation
• encourage reflection, stimulate curiosity as well
  as to correct errors
• build confidence and autonomy in learning

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Intended outcomes

• 1. Review the role of feedback in learning from
  student and teacher perspectives
• 2. Discuss different forms of constructive
  feedback
• 3. Design effective feedback strategies for
  assessing course ILOs

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References and examples

• Gibbs and Simpson, 2005
• Conditions under which assessment supports
  students learning. Learning and Teaching in
  Higher Education, Issue 1 page 3
• http//www.glos.ac.uk/shareddata/dms/2B70988BBCD42
  A03949CB4F3CB78A516.pdf
• Assessing learning in Australian Universities
• www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning
• Oxford Brookes- tips for giving good feedback
• http//www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/firstwords/
  fw21.html
• OBTL website resources
• http//www.cityu.edu.hk/obtl/resources/resources_a
  ss.htm
• RMIT website on Learning, Teaching and Assessment
• http//www.rmit.edu.au/browseIDmfbqsn6uqxpg
• Hong Kong Polu U
• http//www.polyu.edu.hk/assessment/arc/action/feed
  back.htm

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The SOLO Taxonomy (levels of understanding)
Competence
Fail Incompetent Misses point
one relevant several relevant
integrated into generalized to
aspect independent
aspects a structure new domain
Incompetence
Prestructural Unistructural
Multistructural Relational
Extended Abstract
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Adapted from Biggs (1999) in RMIT Teaching and
Learning Site http//www.rmit.edu.au/browse/Our2
0Organisation2FTeaching20and20Learning/