Teaching Tuesdays@CSU
Teaching Tips & Links for SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
Issue 68 - Learning-Focused Feedback: Hot off the Press!
Naomi Winstone and David Carless are leaders in the field of research and innovation in feedback in higher education. Their newly published book is Designing Effective Feedback Processes in Higher Education: A Learning-Focused Approach. As we continue our short series on feedback, a review of the book provides the basis for this week's this bulletin with suggestions for your own approach to feedback.
In a similar vein, our second new resource, Challenging feedback myths: Values, learner involvement and promoting effects beyond the immediate task, adopts development of student feedback literacy as a learning-focused approach.
This week's topics:
Designing Effective Feedback
- Challenging Feedback Myths
See also previous issues of Teaching Tuesdays@CSU on Feedback: 5, 6, 15, 18, 28, 58, 66, 67
Professional Learning Opportunities this week
CRADLE Seminar Series: Using research into diverse students' assessment experiences to change practice. 2 pm, Tues 17 Sept 2019; Online or at Deakin Downtown, Melbourne.
Visit the event page for more info about this free event.
See below for details of other Professional Learning opportunities this week at Charles Sturt University.
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1. Designing Effective Feedback
Winstone, N. E., & Carless, D. (2020). Designing Effective Feedback Processes in Higher Education: A Learning-Focused Approach. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
208 pages. The eBook version is available through Charles Sturt University Library.
Reading time: 4 minutes
This excellent book is a must-read for teachers in higher education who want to improve their feedback practices. Its 186 pages of text are packed with detailed theory and evidence-based practice. There is much scope for you to explore further with the reference list provided and the option to focus in-depth on one or two chapters of particular interest to you.
Intoduction
The central focus of the book is to showcase a new paradigm of feedback based on learner-focused models of feedback rather than traditional transmission-focused feedback practices. If you are looking for different ways to engage students with feedback to promote learning and the learning experience, then read on.
Chapter 1. The authors discuss "different approaches to conceptualising feedback and set out the key features of old and new paradigms of feedback." Perceived barriers to effective feedback practices are also introduced and then re-visited in Chapter 10: lack of expertise (teacher feedback literacy), time and workload pressures (perception of the need for detailed feedback), growing student numbers, and the nature of the discipline.
Chapters 2 to 9 examine "eight different approaches to enacting feedback processes that all incorporate features of learning-focused new paradigm thinking". Each of these chapters uses a consistent format to address different elements of feedback. Chapter 10 looks at strategies for teacher feedback literacy and practice.
In Chapters 2 to 9, the chapter begins with the evidence base for theory and practice drawn from current literature. Most chapters look at advantages, barriers and challenges, provide two examples from the literature and a case study. If there are particular aspects of the model that interest you then these studies provide both ideas for you to draw on and a literature base for you to develop your own ideas. Every chapter has 'Boxes' that contain, Key research findings, Implications for Practice and Key Resources. There are also Questions for reflection and debate that can be used for your own reflection on feedback or as prompts in a community of practice. Diagrams interspersed as Figures throughout the book provide useful illustrations of key points of discussion.
Below each of the chapter headings I have included one or more examples of interest:
1. The feedback challenge
- Figure 1.1 Old and new paradigms of feedback
- Figure 1.3 Perceived barriers to reforming feedback processes
2. Developing student feedback literacy
- QUOTE: Feedback literacy is not just a tool for doing better in university studies but a core capability for the workplace and lifelong learning. (p. 23).
3. Facilitating student engagement with feedback processes
- Figure 3.1 The SAGE Taxonomy of recipience processes: Self-appraisal, Assessment literacy, Goal-setting and self-regulation, Engagement and motivation
4. Technology-enabled feedback processes
- Figure 4.1 The FEATS Feedback Portfolio (see also Teaching Tuesdays@CSU Issue 18)
5. Enabling feedback through assessment design
- Figure 5.1 Assessment task designs to facilitate uptake of feedback
6. Enabling dialogue in feedback processes
- Box 6.1 Sample dialogic prompts (Barton et al., 2016)
- (see also Teaching Tuesdays@CSU Issue 18)
7. Interweaving internal and external feedback
- Box 7.1 Feedback for self-regulated learning (Nicol, & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006)
- ...1 Clarifies good performance.
- ...2 Facilitates self-evaluation.
- ...3 Shares high quality feedback information.
- ...4 Stimulates teacher and peer dialogues.
- ...5 Encourages motivation and self-esteem.
- ...6 Provides opportunities to close the gap.
- ...7 Uses feedback processes to improve teaching.
8. Implementing peer feedback
- Box 8.2 Stages of peer feedback
9. The relational dimension of feedback
- Examines the complex relationships between emotion and response to feedback, the influence of feedback on identity and self-efficacy, power relations, building trust.
Chapter 10. Moving feedback forwards
- Figure 10.2 Future directions for feedback research and practice - a formula on which you can base your own scholarship of teaching and learning in feedback
- Box 10.1 Characteristics of teacher feedback literacy
- Box 10.2 Evaluating your practice
- Box 10.3 Evaluating your beliefs about feedback
- Box 10.4 Developing your practice
The final page contains
- Box 10.6 30 key ideas in designing for uptake of feedback.
Footnote: I was delighted to see references to student feedback responses from the paper that Small and Attree produced from our Charles Sturt University study in the Student Retention and Transition (STAR) project in 2011-2013.
Small, F., & Attree, K. (2016). Undergraduate student responses to feedback: Expectations and experiences. Studies in Higher Education, 41(11), 2078–2094.
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2. Challenging Feedback Myths
Molloy, E., Ajjawi, R., Bearman, M., Noble, C., Rudland, J., & Ryan, A (2019). Challenging feedback myths: Values, learner involvement and promoting effects beyond the immediate task. Medical Education. doi: 10.1111/medu.13802 (published online)
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The three myths of feedback that the authors explore in this paper are:
- feedback needs praise-criticism balancing rules
- feedback is a skill residing within the teacher
- feedback is an input only.
The authors use examples from the medical education literature, particularly in the clinical placement context ito explore these myths and propose alternatives that promote student agency by involving learners in feedback processes.
Their definition of feedback:
Feedback is a process whereby learners obtain information about their work in order to appreciate the similarities and differences between the appropriate standards for any given work, and the qualities of the work itself, in order to generate improved work.
The focus of this model of feedback is on "learners’ judgements, priorities and actions, rather than on what teachers do for them".
Myth 1. Feedback needs praise-criticism balancing rules.
The "feedback sandwich" model has been promoted over many years and in a myriad of contexts as a means to be considerate of the learner's feelings when delivering "negative" feedback. Perceived problems include:
- the "positive" feedback is regarded as padding;
- the balanced approach can leave learners in a state of equanimity that does not promote action on feedback;
- it can be regarded as tokenism or formulaic.
The authors provide examples from the literature of uses of this technique that avoid negative feedback but rather provide specific constructive feedback and motivation to act on feedback. However, such an approach is not often used when this model is applied.
Reframing: the value of “values-led” feedback
The authors suggest the use of a 'debriefing approach' founded on educational values.
"the aspiration is to be dynamic and responsive to context rather than formulaic and generic."
Myth 2. Feedback is a teacher skill
QUOTE: "Higher education initiatives worldwide focus on improving the “feedback-telling” skills of teachers, and very few institutions focus on how to help learners to engage in feedback processes".
Reframing: Relationship-based approaches may be more useful.
a. The educational alliance has three key aspects:
- a shared sense of goals
- shared activities
- bond
b. The relationship, reactions, content, coach (R2C2) approach informed by three threoretical perspectives: humanism; informed self-assessment; the science of behaviour change
There are four phases:
- building the relationship
- exploring reactions to feedback
- exploring feedback content
- coaching for change.
Myth 3. Feedback is an input only
QUOTE: "The enactment of feedback in education has morphed considerably from the mechanism of feedback in biology and engineering, in which there are set points or standards, an input and an output." (The feedback loop).
Reframing: learner engagement with feedback processes produces effects (beyond the task)
a. The multiple outputs of feedback: what requires development - the task, the process or the person? Other considerations for understanding feedback include:
- improved understanding of standards of work,
- improved skills or learning strategies,
- improved learner capability for judging the quality of work (evaluative judgement),
- changes in learner professional identity,
- changes in learner motivation.
b. Foregrounding professional identity as an output of feedback
This can be influenced by feedback from a range of sources including professional peers, clients, patients and can be shaped by "others" reactions to
- (a) validate (or fail to endorse) new learner behavours;
- (b) signal ways to improve.
An advantage of "focusing on outputs and the forward-facing orientiation of the process is that it can override the emotions associated with being criticised".
The authors conclude by arguing for further examination of the socially-embedded nature of feedback, underpinned by values rather than rules.
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Implementing the CSU Value INSIGHTFUL in your teaching.
In living the value of Insightful we act respectfully and perceptively to seek to understand why people think and behave in the ways that they do. Through an open-minded approach we reveal people's underlying attitudes, beliefs and motivations. An insightful approach means we remove ambiguity, we are each clear and agreed about our goals and actions, and we better position ourselves for success.
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Monday Morning Mentor
The highly popular Monday Morning Mentor Fall (USA) series is starting again and will run for 16 weeks. Charles Sturt University staff who have accessed these webinars have enjoyed the topics and the format of these 20-minute video presentations.
The next topic is titled
How Do I Set Students up for Success in Online Courses?
It becomes available on September 10 (AEST).
Access details will be published in What's New and on Yammer.
Staff with a CSU Magna Publications login can access the webinar directly from their Mentor Commons account.
Alternatively, contact
Ellen McIntyre emcintyre@csu.edu.au
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PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
1....Teaching support resources at CSU
2....Links to previous bulletins
3....CSU Professional Learning
4....Bonus CSU resource - LinkedIn Learning
5....Magna Publications Subscriptions
6....Subscribe
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1. Teaching support resources at CSU
You have access to a range of quality CSU resources to help you incorporate educational resources and techniques into your teaching. Check out the following:
- Teaching at CSU - the Division of Learning and Teaching website with links to resources for Teaching Staff, Online Learning, Assessment, Curriculum, Indigenous Curriculum, Workplace Learning, Technologies, Feedback and Analytics, and Learning Spaces.
- Professional Development and Teaching Resources - topics are listed alphabetically to make it easier to find what you need.
- Resources for Learning and Teaching Academic and Professional Staff - searchable CSU database.
- Learning Technologies - the starting point for a range of learning design options
- CSU Learning Exchange: Technologies in Context - a searchable database to promote online learning and teaching strategies.
- The CSU Wiki - a faculty-based source of learning and teaching information and strategies.
- The CSU Learning Spaces Portal - how to use your learning environments to promote learning.
- DOMS Learning and Teaching Shared Resources - CSU login needed to access more than 750 resources uploaded for CSU staff to use.
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2. Links to previous bulletins
Follow Teaching Tuesdays on Twitter.
Our Twitter feed includes links to further hints, tips and resources in the broader field of teaching in higher education.
https://twitter.com/TeachingTuesday
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3. CSU Professional Learning
The monthly bulletin lists available Professional Learning opportunities from CSU Division of Learning and Teaching (DLT).
Teaching-related topics are listed on the
DLT Professional Learning Calendar
DLT Calendar
Adobe Connect a closer look at breakout rooms and student-centred learning
This workshop will focus on the use of the Breakout Rooms function within Adobe Connect and strategies for running successful group activities in the virtual classroom environment.
Adobe Connect online
https://connect.csu.edu.au/csu_olm
Tues 10 Sep 10:00 am
4. Bonus CSU resource - LinkedIn Learning
This online subscription library provides high-quality instructional videos to teach the latest business, creative and software skills, as well as an extensive range of teaching tips.
NOTE: Lynda.com is now LinkedIn Learning and all Charles Sturt University Lynda.com accounts were transferred to LinkedIn Learning accounts on July 8. View some introductory videos for LinkedIn Learning with the links in Issue 64 of Teaching Tuesdays@CSU.
A search for Feedbak in Higher Education returned several options, including:
Types of feedback (4m 02s) as part of the larger course
OR
Sharing feedback using video (3m 59s)
A tip
Keep an eye out on recommendations from Charles Sturt - simply click on our logo in the top LinkedIn Learning toolbar when you login to your Charles Sturt account (screenshot below).
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4. Magna Publications Subscriptions
All staff with a CSU email address have free access to our annual
CSU subscription to the four different high quality resources for enhancing practice.
Video seminars: Mentor Commons (20 minutes) and Magna Commons (40-90 minutes) also include the presentation handouts, full transcripts and supplementary resources that are available for download if you don't have time to listen to the seminar.
Text-based resources: The Teaching Professor (for teaching staff) and Academic Leader (for those in academic and administration leadership roles).
How to subscribe
There is a single CSU subscription code to access all four of these resources.
Staff with a CSU login can obtain the code and subscription instructions from this What's New link.
Alternatively, contact
Ellen McIntyre elmcintyre@csu.edu.au or
Matthew Larnach mlarnach@csu.edu.au
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6. Subscribe
click on the orange Follow Teaching Tuesdays @CSU button (below, or at the top of the bulletin)
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Contact Ellen McIntyre elmcintyre@csu.edu.au to offer your suggestions.
Teaching Tuesdays@CSU Contacts
Learning Academy, Division of Learning & Teaching, Charles Sturt University
Lecturer, Academic Development in the Learning Academy at Charles Sturt University
Email: elmcintyre@csu.edu.au
Website: https://www.csu.edu.au/division/learning-and-teaching/about-us/learning-academy
Phone: +61 2 6933 4726
Twitter: @TeachingTuesday
Kogi Naidoo
Email: knaidoo@csu.edu.au
Website: http://www.csu.edu.au/division/learning-and-teaching/about-us/learning-academy
Phone: +61 2 6933 4804