Strategies to Develop a Feedback-Rich Environmentmams.rmit.edu.au/ytfx6lp5x2wr.pdf · Strategies to...
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Strategies to Develop a Feedback Rich Environment A Diversity of Learners INCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT Page 1 of 4 www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive Involve students as active participants in the feedback process Create common understandings about feedback: • Align perceptions of teacher and student understandings and expectations around feedback through class discussion i.e. the purpose of feedback and how it can support learning. • Explain to students the personal position from which you provide feedback; that it relates to the work that a student has produced, rather than as a reflection of that student as a person or as a learner. • Discuss with students the types of feedback e.g. early, formative or summative you will use and why you choose to use them in particular instances. • Create a shared understanding of assessment goals (criteria/standards) by providing exemplars of performance so students can compare their work against the standard or marking rubrics/ criteria. Create opportunities for students to contribute in the feedback process: • Ask students for input into informal feedback questions e.g. ask students in groups to identify ‘a question worth asking’ based on prior study, that they would like to explore for a short time at the beginning of the next session. • Involve students in the development of curricula standards and assessment criteria through provision of ongoing feedback throughout the course. “The content of feedback is most effective when it is comprehensive, specific, descriptive and focussed.” (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004/05; Rucker & Thomson, 2003) Strategies to Develop a Feedback-Rich Environment I know what I have to do
Transcript of Strategies to Develop a Feedback-Rich Environmentmams.rmit.edu.au/ytfx6lp5x2wr.pdf · Strategies to...
Strategies to Develop a Feedback Rich Environment
A Diversity of LearnersINCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT
Page 1 of 4www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive
Involve students as active participants in the feedback process
Create common understandings about feedback:
• Alignperceptionsofteacherandstudentunderstandingsandexpectationsaroundfeedbackthroughclassdiscussioni.e.thepurposeoffeedbackandhowitcansupportlearning.
• Explaintostudentsthepersonalpositionfromwhichyouprovidefeedback;thatitrelatestotheworkthatastudenthasproduced,ratherthanasareflectionofthatstudentasapersonorasalearner.
• Discusswithstudentsthetypesoffeedbacke.g.early,formativeorsummativeyouwilluseandwhyyouchoosetousetheminparticularinstances.
• Createasharedunderstandingofassessmentgoals(criteria/standards)byprovidingexemplarsofperformancesostudentscancomparetheirworkagainstthestandardormarkingrubrics/criteria.
Create opportunities for students to contribute in the feedback process:
• Askstudentsforinputintoinformalfeedbackquestionse.g.askstudentsingroupstoidentify‘aquestionworthasking’basedonpriorstudy,thattheywouldliketoexploreforashorttimeatthebeginningofthenextsession.
• Involvestudentsinthedevelopmentofcurriculastandardsandassessmentcriteriathroughprovisionofongoingfeedbackthroughoutthecourse.
“The content of feedback is most effective when it is comprehensive, specific, descriptive and focussed.”(Gibbs&Simpson,2004/05;Rucker&Thomson,2003)
Strategies to Develop a Feedback-Rich Environment
I know what I have to do
Strategies to Develop a Feedback Rich Environment
A Diversity of LearnersINCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT
Page 2 of 4www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive
• Usepeerfeedbacktoengagestudentsindiscussion.
• Useself-assessmenttoallowstudentstoreflectontheirownlearning:Referto‘Facilitatethedevelopmentofself-assessment’below.
Encourage teacher/student dialogue around learning and feedback:
• Encourageclassdiscussionaroundchallengesoflearningactivitiesandassessmentthatstudentsmaybeexperiencing.
• Reportfeedbackinclassandstructurebreak-outdiscussionsoffeedbackoruseclassroomtechnologiestocollatestudentresponsesinclassandthenfeedbackvisuallyasahistogram.
• Reviewfeedbackintutorialswherestudentsareaskedtoreadthefeedbackcommentstheyhavebeengivenanddiscussthesewithpeers.
• Askstudentstofindoneortwoexamplesoffeedbackcommentsthattheyfoundusefulandexplainhowthesehelped.
Facilitate the development of self-assessment:
Examplesofreflectionand/orself-assessmentinclude:
• Requestingthekindsoffeedbacktheywouldlikewhentheyhandinwork;
• Identifyingthestrengthsandweaknessesintheirownworkinrelationtocriteriaorstandardsbeforehandinginforteacherfeedback;
• Reflectingontheirachievementsandselectingworkinordertocompileaportfolio;
• Settingachievementmilestonesforataskandreflectingbackonprogressandforwardtothenextstageofaction;
• Givingfeedbackoneachother’swork(peerfeedback).
Provide timely ‘fit to purpose’ feedbackEnsureyouarefamiliarwithRMIT’sUniversity-wideassessmentpolicy.www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=qwxbqbg739rl1
CheckwithinyourrespectiveCollegeforspecificdirectiononguidelinesforassessment.
Diagnostic assessment:
• Diagnosticassessmentidentifiesthelevelofcompetency/performance/knowledgebeforecommencinglearninginacourse/program/learningexperiencebutdoesnotcontributetothestudent’sfinalgrade.Diagnosticassessmentsincludediscussionsandinterviews,assessmenttools(literacy,languageandnumeracyskills),shorttest-feedbackcycles,quizzes,freewritingtasksorobservation.
Formative assessment:
Formativeassessmentprovidesfeedbacktothestudentduringthelearningexperience.Examplesofformativeassessmenttasksincludereflectionjournals,questionandanswersessions,in-classobservationsandpresentations.
Earlyassessmentisoneaspectofformativeassessment.Itletseducatorsknowearlyon,inthefirstfewweeksofthesemester,whetherstudentsareontrack.
• Provideanassessmentopportunityinthefirstthreeweekstoascertainwhetherstudentsareontrack.
• Provideopportunitiesforinformalearlyassessmente.g.one-minutepaperswherestudentscarryoutasmallassessmenttaskandhandthisinanonymouslyattheendofaclassi.e.Whatwasthemainpointofthissession?Whatquestionremainsoutstandingforyouattheendofthissession?
Strategies to Develop a Feedback Rich Environment
A Diversity of LearnersINCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT
Page 3 of 4www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive
• Provideopportunitiesforstudentstosubmitdraftassignmentsforfeedbackbeforethefinalsubmission.
On-going formative assessment:
• Giveimmediatefeedbackduringinstructionielecture,tutorial,laboratorye.g.aquestiontoanswer,aproblemtosolve,acasestudytoanalyse,askilltopracticeoranonlinequiz(self-assessment).
Summative assessment:
Summativeassessmentisfocussedontheoutcomesofthelearningexperienceandconcernedwithevaluationofthefinaloutcomesofalearningexperience.Examplesofsummativeassessmentsincludeexaminations,projects(projectphasessubmittedatvariouscompletionpointscouldbeformativelyassessed),portfolios(couldalsobedevelopedduringdevelopment)andperformances.
Feedbackinsummativeassessmentisdelayed:itisusuallyprovidedaftercompletionofamajortaskandisofteninawrittenform.Referto‘Providehighquality,constructivefeedback’below.
Provide high quality, constructive feedback
Ensure feedback is constructive:
• Makesurethatfeedbackisprovidedinrelationtopre-definedcriteria.
• Avoidgivingtoomuchfeedbacki.e.provide3specificfeedbackcommentsperassessmentonhowstudentscanimprove.
• Writecommentsinanon-authoritativetoneandofferadviceaboutthewritingorpresentationprocessaswellasthecontent.
Ensure feedback can be understood by all students:
• Developasetofstandardisedfeedbackcommentsyoucanuse.
• Useplain,unambiguousEnglishi.e.avoidunnecessarycolloquialismsandacronyms.
• Ensurefeedbackisfreeofculturallyorgenderbiasedexamples.
• Ifhandwritten,ensurethatcommentsareeasytoread.
Ensure feedback is accessible to all students:
• Offerflexibilityintheprovisionoffeedback:Offerfeedbackinavarietyofformse.g.writtenfeedbackonassignments,rubrics,onlinediscussionpostings,in-classquestionsandanswers,facetofaceconsultation.
• Postgeneralfeedbackonlinetoassiststudentswithhearing,sightimpairmentorsensorydisabilitiesorstudentswhomaynotfeelcomfortableaskingquestionsinclass.ContacttheDisabilityLiaisonUnittodiscussappropriatestrategies.
• UsePersonalResponseSystems(PRS)includingdedicatedhandheldunits(clickers)and/orinternetconnectedmobiledevices(Smartphoneetc.)inlargeclassestofindoutwhatstudentsknowandgetfeedback.www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/technology/prs
• UseBlackBoard)tocommunicatewithstudentsi.e.setupaFAQpage,wiki/discussionpage.
Ensure feedback encourages positive motivation and self-esteem:
• Praiseeffortandstrategicbehavioursratherthanabilityorintelligence.
• Provideamplelow-staketaskstoprovidefeedbackonprogressandachievementratherthanhighstakessummativetaskswhereinformationisaboutsuccessorfailureorcomparison.
Strategies to Develop a Feedback Rich Environment
A Diversity of LearnersINCLUSIVE TEACHING AT RMIT
Page 4 of 4www.rmit.edu.au/teaching/inclusive
• Allocatetimeforstudentstore-writeselectedpiecesofwork.
• Providegradesonwrittenworkafterstudentshaverespondedtofeedbackcomments(thiswillallowstudentstofocusonthefeedbackratherthanthegrade).
• MonitorstudentanxietyaroundtheprovisionoffeedbackandifnecessaryreferstudentstoStudentServicesortheStudyandLearningCentre.
References:
Juwah,Cetal2004,Enhancing student learning through effective formative feedback,TheHigherEducationAcademy,Viewed31May2013,<http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/resources/database/id353_senlef_guide.pdf>.
Vardi,I.2010Effective Feedback for Student Learning in Higher Education,HigherEducationResearchandDevelopmentSocietyofAustralasia(HERDSA).
