Project as Journey: Student as Orienteer
The Role of Feedback in Learning
HEA Enhancement Academy Workshop
Queen’s University, Belfast
Monday, 13 September 2010
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
‘It is impossible to overstate the role of effective
feedback on the students’ progress in any discussion
of effective teaching and assessment’
(Ramsden, 1992)
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Contention
Consideration of feedback mechanisms and processes is central the
fundamental design of a project, or any component of learning.
If assessment and feedback design are well considered and integrated
into the learning process, learning is likely to be most effective.
Learning represents a journey - plotting the feedback points is critical to
project design and navigation towards ‘destination’ or intended outcome
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Route and Destination
Learning Outcomes define purpose
Project brief establishes broad path
of journey and stage posts along way
Learning involves navigation over a
complex terrain that is new to the
student – the map is vital
To staff, the landscape is familiar – the
map is known, tacit
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Key academic challenges in transition to Higher Education:
• Clarity of guidance + expectation
• New ways of working
• Assuming responsibility for own learning
• Workload / time management
• Feedback and understanding progress
NB: There is a strong relationship between the first and last points
(from longitudinal study of student perceptions at Aberdeen, 2004-2008)
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
What is fundamental purpose of learning?
Is it the generation of product?
or
The development of process?
(PSRB requirements arguably lean to the former as demonstration of competence)
How do we equip students to define their own positions and journeys within
new terrains, that their tutors may not have directly experienced?
Are we as educators sufficiently self-aware of the impact of our own attitudes
and approaches on the individual’s learning and ability to position
themselves in their learning journey?
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Plotting the Path
Articulation of route dependent
on level of skill and independence
of students
• How skilled or knowledgeable are
students?
• How confident?
• What safety nets are required?
Project introduction - first
feedback opportunity
• Point of orientation and clarity
• Understanding of route, setting
compass, confirming direction
• Nurturing of confidence
• Peer dialogue
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
(from longitudinal study of student perceptions at Aberdeen, 2004-2008)
2004-05 Stage 1 Group: Understanding Tutor Expectations
(26 November 2004)
40
Percentage of Respondents
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Very Well
Well
Adequately
Poorly
Very Poorly
Perception of Understanding
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Some student comments on clarity of expectations
“More personal focus and feedback; sometimes it is not
clear what is expected of us”
“More specific outlines and goals”
“More detailed explanations for new projects in order for full
understanding of what is required”
“Unsure of what is required is some areas of projects”
“It (support) should be more of a progression, you have to get
challenged more as you go through...
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
The Compass
Feedback is the mechanism by which:
• Direction is gauged
• Corrective action defined
• Forward trajectory is determined
Feedback has a role for the following
relationships:
• Student - Tutor
• Student - student
• Tutor - Tutor
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Student – Tutor
Student perceptions of degree
of academic challenge closely
correspond to perceptions of
effectiveness of feedback
Feedback influences motivation
and confidence levels
• Regularity
• Timeliness / speed of response
• Specificity
Effective feedback is the
engagement of the student in the
learning process – student must
Actively contribute to feedback /
feed forward to continue journey
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Some student observations on feedback (or lack of)
“It's difficult sometimes to motivate yourself because of a lack of
direction and push from the tutors”
“Sometimes, things are only explained properly once you have
completed a task, so you have to do it again”
“it would be better… especially since it’s our first year, if they took
time to explain to us what we are doing wrong and if we are doing
it right, because I can do a whole half folio for the year completely
wrong and not know about it”
“what personal feedback gives you, that gives you more
confidence because you are one-on-one, it isn’t a confrontational
situation between two people, like one person and a group, you
know, it’s getting the balance…”
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
(from longitudinal study of student perceptions at Aberdeen, 2004-2008)
2004-05 Stage 1 Group: Desired Elements of
F eedback
50
45
Percentage of Respondents
40
35
5
4
30
3
25
2
1
20
15
10
5
0
G eneric
c omments with
ex ample s
I ndividual
c omments
G rade s or ma rks
only
G rade s a nd
rea s ons
U nders tanding of
own pe rformanc e
agains t pe ers
Feedback Element s
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
O ther
Student - Student
Peer support – forum for discussion,
Comparison, etc
Construction of interactive support
mechanism
Diminution of ‘power asymmetries’
Tutor – Tutor
Need for staff interaction to evaluate
progress, compare experience and
opinion – critical to ensuring
consistency of feedback
‘Keeping the party together’
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Some student observations on peer support
“There is a certain amount of shoulder checking. You can always
check to see what everyone else is up to, then you kind of go
forward from there”
“They (peers) can explain it to you, because they (peers) are on
the same level”
“You are not really sure what you are supposed to be doing until a
few other people have started and they say “this is what we think
is happening”, so everybody does that”
“The way I think of it is, if that’s the way everyone else is doing
it, they (the tutors) can’t really tell me specifically that I’m wrong”
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
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Percentage of Respondents
(from longitudinal study of student perceptions at Aberdeen, 2004-2008)
2004-05 Stage 1 Group: Explanation of Performance Relative to Expectations
(09 March 2005)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Navigating the Path
The nature of guidance:
Too generic, and student has
to work very hard to apply to
context, risking disengagement
Too directive / prescriptive, and
student tends to follow in uncritical
/ unquestioning way, or dismiss
guidance in reactionary way
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
(from longitudinal study of student perceptions at Aberdeen, 2004-2008)
2004-05 Stage 1 Group: Rating of F eedback Prov ided
(Nov ember 2004)
40
35
Percentage of Respondents
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
E xc ellent
V ery G ood
G ood
P oor
V ery P oor
Rat ing
“Give feedback more regularly to give yourself targets to meet.
If you don't know how you are doing this cannot be achieved”
“What's expected from us should be clearly expressed at the
beginning not at the end of the projects”
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Summary
Consider level and capability of students
Consider and explicitly articulate purpose of project / exercise
Consider feedback journey throughout duration of project, and
communicate these as a key part of the learning process (destination
and journey)
Identify critical phases of the project to determine appropriate feedback
and consultation measures (staff or peer led)
Tutors to consider the facilitation and monitoring of the development of the
individual learner in determining their own learning journey
(decision-making processes)
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Thank You
David McClean
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen