Five things I have learned from students about feedback

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Five things I have learned from students about
feedback

• Dr Georgina Fyfe
• School of Biomedical Sciences
• Curtin University
• Western Australia

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Curtin University

• Largest in Western Australia (of 5)
• Mostly vocational courses
• Large Faculty of Health Sciences
• Contains many Schools
• Pharmacy, Physio, OT, Public Health,
• Nursing MW, Psychology
• Plus my School Biomedical Sciences
• Courses in MLSc, MolGen, Human Biol

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Opportunities to gain insight

• My classroom teaching

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Opportunities to gain insight

• My classroom teaching
• Interest in enhancing learning/feedback on
  assessment/reflective practice for students

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Opportunities to gain insight

• My classroom teaching
• Interest in enhancing learning/feedback on
  assessment/reflective practice for students
• 2005 collaborative grant to enhance feedback for
  on-line tests across three West Australian
  universities

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My classroom teaching

• Mainly undergraduate students
• Design curriculum incl assessment
• Includes service teaching
• E.g. medical Imaging
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd years

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My classroom teaching

• Mainly undergraduate students
• Design curriculum incl assessment
• Includes service teaching
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd years
• 1st yrs do I know enough?

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My classroom teaching

• Mainly undergraduate students
• Design curriculum incl assessment
• Includes service teaching
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd years
• 1st yrs do I know enough?
• 2nd yrs do I understand this properly?

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My classroom teaching

• Mainly undergraduate students
• Design curriculum incl assessment
• Includes service teaching
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd years
• 1st yrs do I know enough?
• 2nd yrs do I understand this properly?
• 3rd yrs how can I improve?

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My classroom teaching

• Mainly undergraduate students
• Design curriculum incl assessment
• Includes service teaching
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd years
• 25 yrs designing, delivering and marking
  assessment tasks AND providing feedback

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Interest in feedback on assessment/reflective
practice

• Trying different types of assessment
• Varying the feedback given
• Seeking feedback from students - what works for
  them and why

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Interest in feedback on assessment/reflective
practice

• Trying different types of assessment
• Varying the feedback given
• Seeking feedback from students - what works for
  them and why
• Reflecting on my own perceptions and use of
  feedback and trying to model good practice

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Interest in feedback on assessment/reflective
practice

• Trying different types of assessment
• Varying the feedback given
• Seeking feedback from students - what works for
  them and why
• Reflecting on my own perceptions and use of
  feedback and trying to model good practice

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Paper-based reflective practice following
assessment

• How did you go?
• Better/worse than/same as expected
• Why?
• Areas of syllabus material giving problems?
• Test technique?
• Strategies for improvement

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2005 collaborative grant

• funded by Australian Learning Teaching Council
  (then Carrick)
• to enhance feedback for on-line MCQ/Short Answer
  tests
• across three West Australian universities, Human
  Biol discipline
• Large potential sample

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2005 collaborative grant

• Wrote and implemented feedback for on-line MCQ/TF
  assessment tasks
• Based on focus gp survey info
• Incorporated optional reflective bit (following
  feedback) at end of test

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2005 collaborative grant

• Wrote and implemented feedback for on-line MCQ/TF
  assessment tasks
• Based on focus gp survey info
• Incorporated optional reflective bit (following
  feedback) at end of test
• Gained info from initial survey (n1099) and
  collected test usage patterns perceptions from
  post-test survey and matched to student
  perceptions/expectations/demogs

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Feedback Guiding Principles

• Address why, not what
• Use plain language except for key terms (in
  parentheses as encountered)
• Affirmation for correct responses
• Where need to choose incorrect statement
  re-iterate in affirmation (You are right! That
  statement was untrue.) and as a general comment
• Personal voice for correct responses, impersonal
• for pointing out error
• Give mental images to remember by,avoid
  meaningless mnemonic aids
• 1-2 sentences

Excellent use of brackets within the feedback.
(ECU)
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Tests with Feedback

• UWA CURTIN
• 30 questions
• Each chosen randomly from topic sets of 5 -15
  questions
• WebCT
• ECU 50 questions
• No variation
• Blackboard

Designed to take about 1 minute per question
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Tests with Feedback
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Conditions Under Which Available
Summatively Formatively
4-5 x 25-30 question (random generation within topic areas) tests available 1-2 times for 40 minutes, 9am-5pm, no notes, strict security, each worth 6-12 of unit mark S1 tests could be taken twice best result kept. WebCT4.0
6 x 30 question tests per semester (random generation within topic areas), from week 3, 9am-5pm, no time limit, moderately secure (video monitored), each worth 2 of unit mark. (MCQs from same database part of final paper-based exam) Unlimited access to tests without feedback for whole semester, with feedback for 10 days at end of semester WebCT6.0
(MCQs from same database part of final paper-based exam) 50 item (fixed) tests available 1 month, unlimited access Blackboard
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So what are my five things..?
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So what are my five things..?

1. Variety of feedback

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So what are my five things..?

• Variety of feedback
• Must be timely relevant
• Students like a selection available
• Like to receive multiple types
• E.g. reasons for right as well as wrong answers
• Ideal/most useful may differ
• For individuals, different assessment tasks
• Over time (development of skills)

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So what are my five things..?

1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions dont always match teacher
   perceptions

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So what are my five things..?

• Variety of feedback
• Student perceptions dont always match teacher
  perceptions
• Recognising feedback
• Remind them they are getting it
• What is useful
• Assessment as a feedback opportunity
• Using feedback well takes practice

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So what are my five things..?

1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions dont always match teacher
   perceptions
3. Students like feedback to be personal

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So what are my five things..?

• Variety of feedback
• Student perceptions dont always match teacher
  perceptions
• Students like feedback to be personal
• Acknowledge personal traits
• Emails with attached model answers
• In-class reviews of tests
• Margin or summary comments

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So what are my five things..?

1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions dont always match teacher
   perceptions
3. Feedback needs a personal touch
4. Students want a dialogue about their feedback

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Students want a dialogue about their feedback

• As in good learning
• Aids clarification, acceptance and reflection
• Could be peer, self
• Reflection on assessment performance following
  feedback
• Close the loop by following up
• communicate back to students

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So what are my five things..?

1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions dont always match teacher
   perceptions
3. Feedback needs a personal touch
4. Students want a dialogue about their feedback
5. Importance of feedback cannot be underestimated

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Importance of feedback cannot be underestimated

• Important for progress
• But only if assessment task can be recalled
• Should be available from every assessment task
  prior to next
• ..even end-of-sem summative
• Our most important role?
• Provide expert feedback
• Facilitate skills development

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So what are my five things..?

1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions dont always match teacher
   perceptions
3. Feedback needs a personal touch
4. Students want a dialogue about their feedback
5. Provision of feedback our most important role