‘Feedback sessions’ - Helping first year students

get the most out of assessment and feedback

Sue R Whittle & Linda B Bonnett

Faculty of Biological Sciences

University of Leeds

Conditions required for students to benefit from feedback:

• Knowledge of what constitutes a good performance• Knowledge of how the current performance relates to a good

performance

• Skills to act to close the gap between the current and a good

performance (Sadler, 1989)

Context

Prompt and effective feedback is a key issue in promoting student learning (Race, 2007).

Biochemistry laboratory practical reports for first year students:

• groups of 14 students supervised and assessed by a demonstrator• 5 reports assessed during full academic session

Feedback delivery: • by the demonstrator• one week after the assessment deadline• during a practical session

Feedback content:• marks breakdown on an assessment–specific feedback sheet • written individual improvement advice• verbal reinforcement of the key points

Previous practice in assessment & feedback

Assessment-specific feedback forms

Areas of assessment include:

• report structure

• experiment planning

• data quality

• data analysis, presentation & interpretation

• practical skills

Experiment planning Mark/comments

Clear table of contents with headings

Substrate concentrations well spaced and correctly calculated

Explanation/ clear protocol

Process meets many of the requirements identified from student questionnaires (National Student Survey 2007)

• prompt return• written and verbal feedback • opportunity for discussion with the assessor

Students (85%) believe that feedback has improved their report writing

However staff were disappointed with student progress

Are feedback messages getting across?

Taking a closer look at the feedback process

• Are students finding it hard to engage with feedback received during a laboratory session when their attention priority was on the current task?

• Do students focus on the mark at the expense of reflection on the feedback which aimed to support them in improving their future performance?

Potential problems identified

• provide knowledge of what constitutes a good performance and how the current performance relates to this

• BySelf assessment of work

• foster the acquisition of the evaluative skills needed to act to close the gap between the current and a good performance

• By Use of action planning sheets

• The approach used feedback resources and a dedicated environment that signalled the importance of the feedback process and structured students’ experience of it

• ByIntroducing dedicated feedback sessions

Aims of project

Feedback Sessions

Focusing on feedback (Session 1)

• The initial reflection session raised student awareness of feedback processes.

• Students used a questionnaire to reflect on the feedback they had received during their previous education, and the use that they had made of it (adapted from Write Now feedback questionnaire http://www.writenow.ac.uk)

Understanding assessment criteria (Semester 1)

Timetabled 1-hour feedback sessions held 1 week after assessed practical report deadlines.

Reports had been marked and feedback sheets completed in advance by assessors but NOT returned to student with report.

Students had completed self assessment of their own work and identified errors and areas for improvement using the feedback sheet.

Students then compared their own marks and feedback with that of the assessor and had the opportunity to discuss any differences.

Taking responsibility for using feedback productively (Semester 2)

In Semester 2 the designated feedback sessions took a different form.

Marked student work was returned with completed assessment feedback sheets.

Students used the feedback session for guided reflection on their work and planning of appropriate changes to their approach to future assessments.

A Feedback Action Plan sheet, was used to facilitate reflection and planning (adapted from Race, 2007) .

Evaluation

At the end of the academic year opinion was sought from staff and students.

Students were asked to comment on the effectiveness of these sessions in:

• helping them to adapt to assessment criteria used on their course. • developing good practice in assuming responsibility for using feedback

constructively.

Their approach to feedback and its use was re-examined and compared with attitudes on entry.

Staff comment on the value of the dedicated feedback sessions and the action planning sheets.

Student performance before and after the project was briefly compared.

Outcomes: analysis of student questionnaires

Table 1. Student preferences for feedback mechanisms on arrival

Issue % agree I would be happy to receive feedback by a checklist with no further comments

8

I would be happy to receive only written feedback 30 I would be happy with a mark and no other feedback 1 I would be happy to receive only oral feedback 9

Outcomes: analysis of student questionnaires

Table 2. Comparing student expectation to experience

Issue On arrival (n=79 rr=86%)

End of Semester 2 (n=69 rr=81%)

% agree % agree Feedback should be provided on all assessed assignments

97

Feedback has been provided on all assessed assignments

95

Feedback should tell me what I have done well

98

Feedback has told me what I have done well 87 I expect feedback to be provided quickly enough to be useful

99

Feedback has been provided quickly enough to be useful

78

Feedback should tell me how to improve my next assignment

99

Feedback has helped me to improve my next assignment

78

Feedback should tell me how my performance compares to others

33

Feedback has told me how my performance compares to others

51

Table 3. Comparing university with previous educational experiences

On arrival End of semester 2 Issue % agree % agree

I understood the assessment criteria for my assignments

83 80

Feedback has been provided quickly enough to be useful

82 78

I usually paid close attention to feedback 86 84 Feedback often clearly related to the assessment criteria

80 91

The feedback I was given did not help me reach my desired level of performance

15 16

The feedback given for one assignment was largely irrelevant to subsequent assignments

18 6

If I didn’t understand feedback, I tried to get help from my teacher

71 74

I often received feedback in enough detail 64 88 It was often not clear from feedback what counted as good performance

25 26

I think the most important part of feedback is the mark

12 42

Outcomes: analysis of student questionnaires

Outcomes: analysis of student questionnaires

Table 4. Student opinion of feedback mechanisms introduced

Issue % agree

Having timetabled feedback sessions helped me to focus on the outcome of my assessment and the feedback received

73

Marking my own work has helped me understand the assessment criteria

87

Feed-forward tips have helped me improve my next assignment

70

I would have preferred assessed practical reports to be returned during a normal practical session

49

The action planning sheet has helped me make more use of the feedback I have received

53

I intend to use an action planning sheet to help me use feedback on future assignments effectively

53

Outcomes; effect on student performance

CLASS AVERAGE MARKS

YEAR Expt 1 Expt 2 Expt 3 Expt 4 Expt 5

2001-02 64.4 71.8 69.3 56.7

2002-03 66.0 66.7 68.0 63.3

2003-04 63.0 64.3 64.3 59.7

2004-05 66.1 67.9 67.8 61.3 64.9

2005-06 66.1 70.0 69.4 60.7 65.0

2006-07 66.8 68.3 66.9 59.2 59.2

2007-08 66.0 68.0 72.3 59.1 64.0

Formative practice (Expt 1) and feedback sheets introduced

Self marking and action planning

Outcomes; analysis of staff responses

6 staff members took part in the project

Had the dedicated feedback sessions helped students to focus on their feedback ?

• Some students appeared to benefit - others resented the time required

• Helped to focus on feedback when no other activities were distracting attention

• Students had the time to engage with the feedback

Benefits of self marking• Students had to focus on assessment criteria to be able to mark

their own work and they learned a lot from this• Increased student confidence in the assessor /assessment process• Increased student awareness of required standards/types of errors

made

Comparison of student and assessor marksMost student marks were similar to the assessors but a significant number were lower.

Had the Action Planning sheet helped students to use feedback from one assignment to improve the next?No, generally

Outcomes; analysis of staff responses

• New students have very high expectations on arrival. These are largely, but not completely met in Year 1.

• The dedicated sessions and self marking activities were well received by students and did develop their understanding of the usefulness of feedback during the year.

• At the end of the year most students have an increased awareness of what constitutes a good performance and how their current performance relates to it.

• BUT they are not yet able to close this gap effectively – or do not share staff aspirations.

• Students and staff doubt the usefulness of action planning sheets.

Discussions and Conclusions

Building on the project – where do we go from here?

2008-9 session

Separate feedback sessions and self-assessment of reports has been retained in semester 1 only – timing was checked to ensure attendance is convenient for students

Action planning was introduced earlier at the end of semester 1 in the context of overviewing performance throughout the semester

Questionnaires will include questions which aim to investigate student attitudes towards usefulness of feedback

Student attitude towards usefulness of feedback on arrival

Question % agree

% no opinion

% disagree

I have not often needed feedback to produce work to the standard I want

17 30 53

I expect to produce work of a high enough standard without needing to refer to feedback

15 45 40

Key questions

• How to improve use/effectiveness of feedback and action planning?

• Do we need to raise student aspirations to see improvements in performance?

Feedback sessions - Helping first year students

get the most out of assessment and feedback

References

• HANDLEY, K., SZWELNIK, A., UJMA, D., LAWRENCE, L., MILLAR, J & PRICE, M. (2007) When less is more: students’ experiences of assessment feedback. HEA Conference 2007

• HIGGINS, R., HARTLEY, P. & SKELTON, A. (2001) Getting the message across. Teaching in Higher Education, 6 (2), 269-274.

• National Student Survey 2007http://www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/nss/data/2007/ doc accessed

10/06/08

• RACE, P. (2007) Making feedback work http://www.phil-race.com/files/feedbackcom.doc

accessed 16/01/08

• RACE, P. (2007) How to Get a Good Degree: 2nd edition, Open University Press, London

• SADLER, D. R. (1989) Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18, 119-144.

Further information

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/events/conference/Ann_conf_2008_Sue_Whittle