PERSONALISING FEEDBACK TO SUPPORT STUDENT RESEARCH AND ENQUIRY

PERSONALISING FEEDBACK TO SUPPORT STUDENT RESEARCH AND ENQUIRY ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES NTU Learning and Teaching Coordinator Network

NTU Learning and Teaching Coordinators Network (LTCN) Lesley Arthur (ADBE); Lisa Clughen (A&H); Belinda Ferguson (Edu); Christine Hardy (A&D); Ann Liggett (SS); Matthew Homewood (NLS); Jon Tepper (S&T); Graham Thomas (NBS) 09 March 2021 2

Capturing your feedback Use this virtual wall to add your thoughts/examples throughout the session and afterwards Use your mobile device, enter the URL or scan QR code and get typing! You can add text, photos, videos and documents 09 March 2021 3

Personalisation vs standardisation Students want a personalised higher education experience – options for a ‘tailored’ education but with a sense of fairness and clear rules being maintained (Kandiko and Mawer 2013: 9) There is evidence that students value personalisation of their learning experience and that the benefits manifest in engagement with their studies, motivation and selfconfidence. Empowering students to be autonomous and independent learners also has beneficial consequences in terms of giving them control over important aspects of their own learning (QAA 2008: 5) 09 March 2021 4

… that students value personalisation of their first year experience, even though they are not familiar with this term. They like to be known. They like personalised feedback. They like individual attention (QAA 2008: 84) and dialogue about their work (Miller 2006) 09 March 2021 5

Enquiry based learning • Requires students to draw on and value existing knowledge (rather than assume they occupy a deficit model); • Encourages students to actively explore and seek out new evidence for themselves (rather than waiting for the lecturer to provide all their information); and • Can help support the development of peer networks and relationships with staff (Kahn and O’Rourke, 2005) 09 March 2021 6

It is a. . … constructive development pedagogy … [in which] teachers model the process of constructing knowledge in their disciplines, teach that process to students and give students opportunities to practice and become proficient at it (Baxter Magolda, 1999: 9) 09 March 2021 7

The importance of feedback in EBL theoretically offers and important opportunity to integrate the features of formative assessment holistically, by creating learning environments which promote social learning, dialogue and varied embedded feedback opportunities (Bloxham and Boyd, 2007) Feedback is central to an enquirybased learning environment. Without adequate feedback (…) students are likely to underachieve'. (Lee et al. 2009) 09 March 2021 8

Feedback can encourage self-regulation • Self-regulated learning is an active constructive process whereby learners set goals for their learning and monitor, regulate, and control their cognition, motivation and behaviour, guided and constrained by their goals and the contextual features of the environment (Pintrich and Zusho, 2002: 64) • Feedback in EBL encourages this self-regulation 09 March 2021 9

Learning Systems Analysis & Design • Requires students to plan, analyse and collaborate • Traditional lectures, seminars and labs struggle to promote these skills (Oh Navarro & Van der Hoek, 2005) • Year 1 students have little affinity to learning software engineering (Shaw & Dermoudy, 2005)

Game-based EBL Project • Open-ended GBL assessment brief • Group project spanning 12 weeks • Seminar and Lab Time used to review progress and provide interim feedback Assessment brief Deliverables You are required to design and model REPORT consisting of following sections: a board game which teaches I. Introduction to Team and Methodology managers about a systems II. Team Concept Maps development methodology. The III. Project Schedule & Risk Assessment methodology must be relevant to your IV. System Proposal course (e. g. agile methodology for BSc V. Evaluation (STUDENT FEEDBACK!!!) (H) Computer Science with Games Tech, spiral methodology for BSc (H) Information Systems). In order for you to design and model the game, you will be required to move through the Planning and Analysis stages yourself.

EBL Features • Requires students to draw on and value existing knowledge o Concept maps to capture knowledge pre- and post-activity • Students have to actively explore systems development methodologies relevant to their course • Tutors do not have THE solution – the task is divergent…. students have to design their own game and model it using the taught techniques • Support is through designated seminars and labs (tutor can correlate concept map of knowledge with their models of the game i. e. applied knowledge)

Feedback is inherently personalized

Helped take out basic knowledge of SAD to a higher level. We now feel we have modelling skills to carry out projects to a high standard Helped us to understand the principles of SAD as it made us go through the stages ourselves to design and model the game Approach to Assessment Helped us to learn the principles in the textbook – brought them to life Not a good idea – we felt a system such as an on-line ordering system would have been better as we would apply to real-world situation ‘showed’ us the advantages and disadvantages of different methodologies and relevance to our programme. We can now justify the methdologies we choose Proved resourceful for learning the tools we have been taught however we recommend you are actually required to build a prototype of the board game rather than just model it!

Seven principles of good feedback practice: facilitating self-regulation 1. Helps clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, expected standards); 2. Facilitates the development of self-assessment (reflection) in learning; 3. Delivers high quality information to students about their learning; 4. Encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning; 5. Encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem; 6. Provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance; 7. Provides information to teachers that can be used to help shape learning (Nichol and Mcfarlane-Dick, 2007: 205) 1. 09 March 2021 15

Students Making Sense of Feedback To be able to appreciate feedback and formulate subsequent actions, students need to develop evaluative skills in selfassessment to deconstruct their feedback and learn from the process (Irons 2008). 09 March 2021 16

Using feedback to improve performance There was no issue with this in this assignment This was not a problem in this work, you have improved this Your referencing continues to be correct This was not clear in the methodology, be more explicit in future 09 March 2021 17

Editing Checklists Warwick University of Hawaii 09 March 2021 York University of New South Wales 18

University of Warwick 09 March 2021 19

Issues • Too generic • No personalisation / not contextualised • No dialogue – tutors do not check for understanding of feedback, discuss strategy for development (self regulation) or student progress through use of feedback (see Dysthe 2011) 09 March 2021 20

Editing Checklists for Personalising Feedback SAAH 10011: Tutorial Module 201415 Full Year https: //now. ntu. ac. uk/d 2 l/home/307485 09 March 2021 21

Personalising feedback using online diagnostic testing 09 March 2021 22

Personalising feedback using online diagnostic testing 09 March 2021 23

Personalising feedback using online diagnostic testing 09 March 2021 24

Reflexive practice Level 4 : Introduction Basics & introduction, to develop key skills (we lead the students) De-schooling: Speed dating, the emphasis is upon challenging pre- conceptions, There are Mixed sessions including BA & BSc students involved in team building and contributing to debates. Open Lectures Reflection & PDP (not ticking boxes) The purpose of the reflective work is simply to encourage the students to question and refine their thinking about their understanding of theory and practise. Direct ties in to other practical modules At different times the level 1 and level 2 students have a produced a visual essay. These are useful to use as an academic conduit and contributes significantly to the sales pitch. Blooms taxonomy, Biggs and cognition are mapped against the appropriate levels progressively Level 5: Diagnosis, nurturing, reflection, & the development of skills and maturity linked to professionalism (we work with the students) This is one module. The students study three. Return inductions 1 The Sales Pitch Characterizing themselves in a way which articulates their strengths and weaknesses) 2 The Critical Essay (Why do you design? ) based upon the Universal Principles Of Design 3 The Digital Journal/ visual essay Key characteristics of the year are: Mixed sessions of- BA/BSc students- Open Lectures, Reflection & PDP The aim for many is the industry placement of 30 weeks. The year and our approach gradually allows for the student to feel empowered by the ‘level’ of content which they are allowed to develop under guidance. All assignments compliment each other; these include Projects module (8) Plus the ‘Prof Practice’ module preparation for industry. Level 6: Confirmatory Application showing critical understanding & a developing Maturity (the students lead and we support them) Return inductions To re acquaint the students with the University, with the focus upon what they need to do in their final year. We take the students for a leisurely walk and ask them 10 questions. To ensure that we dissipate fears and nurture confidence, facilitated by our actions and by the tone in our voices. Detailed & individual Student-led with mixed staff specialisms Theory into practice The dissertation must be related to their context professionally. The research has to be relevant and adhere to academic norms. Varied outputs, lead to Students have three choices: the Blue Sky project, a Conference paper or a traditional dissertation encouraging a positive approach to publications and the exposition of their work.

The leitmotif of enquiry through learning was the mechanism we used to facilitate independent informed thinking by using a variety of teaching methods and a tailored form of feedback to encourage ownership How is this achieved? De Schooling, establishing Links between the exercises on levels 4 and 5 to nurture and re enforce theme to options in their final year. The context of feedback and assessment is formative, diagnostic, ipsative and summative. 1 Debates (level 4) 1 portrait (level 4) Leading onto the essay’ Why I design’ Level 5 FEEDBACK : transmit, decode, evaluate and compare, then recognise and reconstruct the knowledge, at that point transfer to new concepts to challenge established connections. It is basic cognition based upon Beck’s CBT. 09 March 2021 Level 6 3 options: Dissertation, conference paper or their concept to develop. Students have explored a range of intellectual paths by using feedback concerning the clarity of their thinking, the process used encourages and helps the student to create their own walkway as informed and independent students. This work was rolled out under the HEA banner by Mick Healey as good practise. We feel it is a subset of the 3 r’s: reflective, reflexive and relevant to the student. 26

Co-constructing Feedback Reflection on Feedback Log book Tutorial record sheet Summative Assessment Artefact Sketchbook Journals 09 March 2021 Assignment brief Self-negotiated Employer/staff generated Individual Group Work on assignment Feedback tutorial Tutor Peer Employer 27

Closing Comments What’s on our wall? 09 March 2021 28

References • Baxter-Magolda, M. B. (1999) Creating Contexts for Learning and Self-Authorship. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press • Bloxham, S and Boyd, P. (2007) Developing Assessment in Higher Education. Maienhead: OUP • Kahn, P. and O’Rourke, K (2005) Understanding enquiry-based learning. In Barrett, T. , Mc. Labhrainn, I. and Fallon, H (edits) Handbook of Enquiry and Problem-based Learning: Irish Case Studies and International Perspectives. All-Ireland Society for Higher Education (ISHE) www. aishe. org/readings/2005 -2/contents. html • Dysthe, O. (2011) ‘What is the Purpose of Feedback when Revision is not Expected? ’ A Case Study of Feedback Quality and Study Design in a First Year Master's Programme, Journal of Academic Writing Vol. 1 No 1 Autumn 2011, 135– 142 • Irons, A (2008) Enhancing Learning Through Formative Assessment and Feedback. London. Routledge. • Kandiko, C. b. and Mawer, M. (2013) Student Expectations and Perceptions of Higher Education: Executive Summary. London: King’s Learning Institute • Knox, H. and Wype J. (2008) The First Year Experience: Personalisation of the first year. Mansfield: The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

References (Cont) • Lee, K, Marriott, S and Lowe, R (2009) Promoting and Evaluating Entrepreneurial Learning: Assessing the Effectiveness of an Enquiry-Based Approach. The 4 th European Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The University of Antwerp, Belgium, 10 -11 September 2009. • Millar, J. (2010) 'Talking relationships: developing an understanding of staff-student relationships constructed through assessment feedback'. Paper presented at the Society for Research in Higher Education Conference, Newport, Wales, December. • Nicol, D. and Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006) ‘Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice’ (online), Studies in Higher Education Vol. 31, No. 2, April 2006, pp. 199– 218 Available via: http: //www. tandfonline. com/doi/abs/10. 1080/03075070600572090#. VIhuk. U 1 y. Yd. U. [Accessed 10 December 2014] • Pintrich, P. R. and Zuscho, A. (2002) Student motivation and self-regulated learning in the college classroom. In Smart, J. C. and Tierney, W. G. (eds) Higher Education: handbook of theory and research (vol. XV 11) New York: Agathon Press 09 March 2021 30