An Examination of student formative assessment and feedback & its relationship to learning outcomes and the student learning experiences

– an interim project report

Dr Bernadette BlairKingston University - London

How does Formative feedback contribute to thesummative assessment ?

• it provides an indication of level of current achievement and signals ways to improve areas of weakness against the course/module criteria

• it provides an indication of level of current achievement and signals ways to improve areas of weakness against the course/module criteria

• It makes no formal contribution

• “Reference to formative feedback can be made in summative assessment, especially if students have made a significant transition. Sometimes students mention the formative feedback themselves (although they don't call it 'formative feedback'!). Sometimes we refer to their lack of response to feedback - although this is rarer”

How do you check that students have understood feedback?

• the tutorial that follows an assessment begins with a discussion of the notes from the previous assessment point.

• Observing and monitoring group discussions, brain storming or mind mapping aims and objectives

• Spend time explaining feedback face to face and seeking verbal and visual confirmation

What have you found to be the advantages of giving face to face feedback?

• Students receive personalized feedback which is clear and accessible and enables them to learn and to seek further clarification;

• Student have feedback that is always accompanied by feed-forward that lets them know what they can do in order to improve their level of achievement;

What have you found to be the advantages of giving face to face feedback?

• Based on body language, one can often judge both more promptly and more - Response accurately which aspects of the feedback are not adequately understood

• I am able to tailor the feedback to the student's responses, providing additional explanation where necessary and moderating subsequent feedback if it appears the student is finding the feedback difficult or de-motivating.

What other forms of formative feedback have led to examples of good practice in your experience?

• At the end of projects I now find the best approach is to ask students to rank each others work in terms of top to bottom (this is done individually and the results put together to create the cohort's ranking of their own work). The cohort is asked to decide what level each project should attain and then we have a discussion as to whether the order / level is appropriate or not.

• Students are sometimes asked to complete crit feedback sheets for other students. This benefits the student providing the feedback as it gives them the opportunity to also reflect upon the same issues in their own work/presentation.

• recorded feedback - video and audio peer review• audio feedback has improved the delay between

submissions but this is generally on summative feedback. Other tutors want to pilot it in their modules.

• sharing with other members of staff, research in learning and teaching

Have you found that there were any issues/difficulties in giving face to face feedback?

• only in respect that praise and good work is 'easy' to feedback on and poor work needs different strategies

• In the belief that they are being 'judged' according to their apparent ability to understand the feedback, driven by ego needs, students occasionally attempt to indicate that they understand when they do no not.

• time-intensive for tutors, back-to-back they are exhausting

• ‘They said 'oh it's great work and I thought no, that work is really rubbish and it is not good at all …the British are really polite so instead of saying it's rubbish they try and say it in a really nice way. To me it is straightforward - if it's bad it's bad.’

(Blair, 2006)

What research says - Misinterpretation

• 'teachers, who view participation as a sign of a healthy classroom culture may encourage questions or at least expect students to ask for clarification, questions, however, may illicit inaccurate responses where in many Asian countries 'yes' can mean 'no' 'maybe' or simply ’I heard what you said'.

(Radcliffe-Thomas.2007)

• some critiques also nurture an unhealthy psychological environment in which active, independent artists become passive and dependent upon others‘ statements of approval. If they are not careful, image makers can also allow critiques to be disempowering, in effect, leading makers to the impotent position of "solve my problems for me," "I can't make a good image without you," ”I won't know if I have made a good image unless you tell me so."

(Barrett, T. 2006 p.259/260)

• you could start by explaining what a ‘crit’ is. Those of us from other countries aren't in the casual lingo.

• It shouldn't always be negative criticism. If tutors could work with what the students brought forward instead of focusing on only what the students could have done, then uni would be a better place.

• Be more objective. Less personal likes and dislikes. Cover both good points and bad points

Workshop Activity

• Three terms commonly used in verbal feedback – how would you explain these to a student?

• Synergy• Balance (Visual)• Aesthetic

Contact details

• Please contribute to this project by letting me have your email details so I can send you the questionnaire link so you can complete the questionnaire.

• b.blair@kingston.ac.uk

• http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FMNHYXK