Using iPads to increase the level of student engagement in the peer review and feedback process

Using iPads to increase the level of student engagement in the peer review and feedback

process

Anita Backhouse, Ian Wilson & Daniel Mackley

York St John University

In preparing students for the classroom it was important that they had the opportunity to experience classroom routines and assessments of the type they would be using with the children in the school classroom.

Assessment tasks designed to help the students to develop their metacognitive skills and social and critical awareness of the assessment and feedback process.

The conceptual framework for our study is based on social constructivist theory and relies heavily on group activities and tutor-mediated self-assessment and reflection.

Whilst we were happy with the activities, the quality and extent of student engagement was limited.

We needed to enhance the level of student engagement in the peer review and feedback process in order to better establish the level of metacognition and social and critical awareness.

The Problem

The Research Focus

• A 16 month ongoing action research study;

• A collaboration between tutors (Anita and Ian), second year undergraduate student teachers and the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Adviser (Daniel);

• Focus on enhancing peer review and feedback.

Research questions

• Could the use of mobile technology applications enhance the peer-review and feedback process?

• Could a practitioner-research approach enhance the students’ pedagogical awareness and critical engagement with peer-review and feedback?

Year 2 student teacher science module

group assessments

Science-themed school assembly

30 min science lesson

Science-themed classroom

display

Group feedback, reflection and self-

assessment with tutor

Peer review Peer review Peer review

Organisation

• 140 student participants in 5 teaching groups

• 20 iPads

1st cycle: Notability and eClicker

2nd cycle – Notability and Socrative

3rd cycle – Notability, Socrative and QR codes (where we are now)

For the 1st and 2nd cycles data was collected and analysed from observation and discussion notes and questionnaires across the period of the study.


group assessments


display





An image is taken of the display and imported into Notability ready to be annotated.

After annotation the file is saved as a pdf and exported to Dropbox.


group assessments


display





Following informal responses from the students about their use of eClicker and Notability they were invited to complete an online questionnaire about their experiences.

Responses to the question, ‘what features would you like to see that eClicker does not have and why?’ revealed that the students felt there should be the option to include comments with the feedback judgements. There was a need for more detail about what the students had done well or what the suggestions for improvement might be.

Evaluation of first cycle


group assessments




display



Second cycle

Student comments about the use of iPads for peer assessment and feedback

Positive comments Number of responses

Quick and easy 11

Motivating 7

Feedback is anonymous 8

Helped to raise awareness of the assessment process 34

Visually appealing 5

Total 65

Negative comments Number of responses

Need more detail in eClicker responses12

Time-consuming6

Total18

How does giving people feedback help you with your work?

Types of comment

Number of responses

I like to compare other peoples’ work with my own 8

It helps me to clarify and understand the assessment requirements 7

It helps me to reflect and improve my own work 49

I like to see alternative perspectives 11

I am concerned about other students being biased in their feedback on my work

10

I find it useful for getting ideas 6

Total 91

Findings

• Students’ level of engagement with peer review and feedback increased significantly when using the iPads(100% engagement when iPads were used);

• The students became critical reflectors of the technology and of the peer assessment process;

• The students valued the impact that giving feedback had on their own assessment attitudes and practice – they became more reflexive;

• However, the students felt that receiving peer feedback had less impact on the quality of their own work.

Considerations in terms of technology

• The ownership model for management and deployment of the iPads has an impact on usability in the classroom;

• The quality of wifi connection has a significant impact on the time it takes to provide feedback and this in turn impacts on the level of student engagement;

• It is important to listen to student feedback about how well they feel the technology is meeting their needs;

• In order to foster critical engagement with the technology, it is important for all the users to be given time to explore and investigate the hardware and applications.

Third cycle

• We have introduced Quick Response (QR) codes to the displays with links to the students’ display rationale to better support peer feedback.

References and acknowledgements

Big Nerd Ranch (2012) eClicker Presenter (version 1.0.13) [Mobile application software] Available from: http://itunes.apple.com [Accessed 30 September 2012]

Big Nerd Ranch (2012) eClicker Audience (Version 1.0.4) [Mobile application software] Available from: http://itunes.apple.com [Accessed 30 September 2012]

Gingerlabs (2012) Notability (Version 4.42) [Mobile application software] Available from: http://itunes.apple.com [Accessed 30 September 2012]

Socrative (2013) Socrative Teacher [Mobile application software] Available from http://www.socrative.com[Accessed 15 March 2013]

Socrative (2013) Socrative Student [Mobile application software] Available from http://www.socrative.com[Accessed 15 March 2013]

Many thanks to Abi Sowerby, Naomi Richardson, Louise Connelly, Beth Millar, Mollie Benefer, Bryony Cunningham, Rachel Rawcliffe and Nicole King for allowing us to show their work.

http://itunes.apple.com



http://www.socrative.com

http://www.socrative.com

Using iPads to increase the level of student engagement in the peer review and feedback process

Education

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