Five things I have
learned from students
about feedback
Dr Georgina Fyfe
School of Biomedical Sciences
Curtin University
Western Australia
Curtin University
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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
Opportunities to gain insight
• My classroom teaching
Opportunities to gain insight
• My classroom teaching
• Interest in enhancing learning/feedback
on assessment/reflective practice for
students
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
My classroom teaching
• Mainly undergraduate students
• Design curriculum incl assessment
• Includes service teaching
– E.g. medical Imaging
• 1st, 2nd and 3rd years
My classroom teaching
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Mainly undergraduate students
Design curriculum incl assessment
Includes service teaching
1st, 2nd and 3rd years
– 1st yrs “do I know enough?”
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?”
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?”
My classroom teaching
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•
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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
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
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
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
Paper-based reflective
practice following assessment
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How did you go?
Better/worse than/same as expected
Why?
Areas of syllabus material giving
problems?
• Test technique?
• Strategies for improvement
Human Biolog y 137
Practical test feedback and reflection
Sem 1, 2008
1. Name
What was your prac test score?
What was test score you got higher, lower or the same as you expected ?
Higher
the same
lower
2. Did you think your test mark was an accurate reflection of how much you know?
Yes/No
comment ?
2. Please think back to the three pracs which were tested in Test 1 and comment on
how well you learned the material during t he class.
Prac #
1
2
3
Learning achievement in the prac, and some reasons why
3. List the three main problem areas of the syllabus material tested which were
highli ghted by the prac test. (eg. Bony tissue/carp al bones/details of C1 & C2 etc)
1
2
3
4. What st rategies will you employ to overcome these problem areas before the
next test ? (you might like to include things such as preparation for the lab, more
focussed work in the lab, self-testing etc etc)
5. State one thing about exam technique issues which were highlig hted for you by
the prac test, and give some ideas for addressing this issue before the next prac
test.
With your permission, this sheet will be collected for analysis and handed back to you for your records
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
2005 collaborative grant
1. Wrote and implemented feedback for
on-line MCQ/TF assessment tasks
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Based on focus gp & survey info
2. Incorporated optional reflective bit
(following feedback) at end of test
Reflecti ve Practice Instrument
Section 1: Expectations
Section 2: Problem Areas
(approx 10 options plus “other”)
Section 3: Strategies for Improvement
2005 collaborative grant
1. Wrote and implemented feedback for online MCQ/TF assessment tasks
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Based on focus gp & survey info
2. Incorporated optional reflective bit (following
feedback) at end of test
Gained info from initial survey (n=1099) and
collected test usage patterns & perceptions
from post-test survey and matched to
student perceptions/expectations/demogs
Feedback Guiding Principles
• Address “why”, not “what”
• Use plain language except for key terms (inExcellent use of
parentheses as encountered)
brackets within the
feedback. (ECU)
• Affirmation for correct responses
• Where need to choose incorrect statement reiterate 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
Tests with Feedback
Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
• 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
Tests with Feedback
Conditions Under Which Available
Summatively
Formatively
4-5 x 25-30 question (random S1 tests could be taken twice
generation within topic areas) – best result kept.
tests available 1-2 times for 40
minutes, 9am-5pm, no notes,
strict security, each worth 6WebCT4.0
12% of unit mark
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 paperbased exam)
Unlimited access to tests
without feedback for whole
semester, with feedback
for 10 days at end of
semester
(MCQs from same database
part of final paper-based
exam)
50 item (fixed) tests available
1 month, unlimited access
Blackboard
WebCT6.0
So what are my five things..?
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
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Must be timely & relevant
Students like a selection available
Like to receive multiple types
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E.g. reasons for right as well as wrong
answers
Ideal/most useful may differ
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For individuals, different assessment tasks
Over time (development of skills)
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions don’t always
match teacher perceptions
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions don’t always
match teacher perceptions
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Recognising feedback
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What is useful
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Remind them they are getting it
Assessment as a feedback opportunity
Using feedback well takes practice
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions don’t always
match teacher perceptions
3. Students like feedback to be personal
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions don’t always
match teacher perceptions
3. Students like feedback to be personal
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Acknowledge personal traits
Emails with attached model answers
In-class reviews of tests
Margin or summary comments
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions don’t always
match teacher perceptions
3. Feedback needs a personal touch
4. Students want a dialogue about their
feedback
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
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions don’t 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
Importance of feedback
cannot be underestimated
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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?
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Provide expert feedback
Facilitate skills development
So what are my five things..?
1. Variety of feedback
2. Student perceptions don’t 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