Alex bols hea workshop 19th april 2012

Alex Bols, Assistant Director (Research) &

Head of Higher Education, NUS

[email protected]

Assessment feedback:

changing student attitudes

QAA Quality Code – T&L

Using appropriate evidence, higher

education providers create, and

systematically address opportunities to

improve, an environment that

encourages high-quality learning for all

students.

DRAFT TEXT

"All I get is a grade next to my

matriculation number

without any indication on

how I'm actually doing"

“I got an essay back where

the only comment was 'use

a bigger text size’, there was

nothing on how to improve

my grade"

“For a rather lengthy

scientific report, the

feedback I received

consisted of a mere 2 ticks

and a question mark”

5

6

3

6

9

4

10

14

7

26

13

8

23

30

24

20

20

35

9

8

19

… motivates me to

study

… makes it clear

how to improve my

performance on

future coursework

assignments/ tasks

… makes it clear

how well I have

performed on the

coursework

assignment/ task

%

1 - Totally disagree 2 3 4 - Neither agree nor disagree 5 6 7 - Totally agree

Chart 3: Just over half (52%) of students said their feedback motivates them to study

Q35. To what extent do you agree with the following statements about feedback you receive? The feedback I receive ……

78%

58%

52%

Base: All receiving feedback (3120)

86.1%77.9%

39.3% 42.3%

32.8%

17.6% 18.7% 21.2%

56.3% 54.8%

16.9% 14.1%

1.1%

74.9%79.3%

46.6%

66.1%

35.6%

19.7%

37.6%

46.6%53.2%

47.4%

32.5%

13.0%

0.6%0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

Written grades / marks

Written comments

Online comments

Verbal feedback

provided in an

individual meeting with

the tutor/lecturer

who set the work

Verbal feedback

provided in a

group meeting with the

tutor/lecturer who set the

work

Oral assessment

Performance review

In-person feedback

Coursework feedback

Exam marking Dialogue with an academic

Laboratory assessment

Other

Ways of receiveing feedback n=4981

How do you receive feedback? Which would be the most useful way to receive feedback?

Institution Less than a week One to two weeks Three to four weeks Five to six weeks Seven weeks or more

1994 Group 8.5% 41.2% 35.9% 10.9% 3.5%

Guild HE 3.0% 22.2% 54.0% 16.7% 4.0%

Million + Group 7.7% 30.3% 46.7% 12.1% 3.3%

Non aligned 8.0% 33.7% 39.6% 15.5% 3.2%

Russell Group 12.1% 38.5% 38.0% 7.5% 3.9%

University Alliance Group 9.6% 42.0% 32.6% 8.0% 7.8%

How long, on average, does it take for you to receive feedback on your coursework/exam results?

10.5%

18.2%

14.4%

20.2%

7.6%

2.4%

21.6%

5.1%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

More than once a week

Once a week Once a fortnight Once a month Once every 6 months Once a year Never Other

How often, if at all, do you have the opportunity for feedback on your work which does not formally contribute to your overall degree grade?

n=4760

83.0%

39.3%

20.1%

15.1%10.5%

6.9%

71.8% 71.2%

35.8%

50.5%

21.3%

4.2%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

Written grades / marks Written comments Online comments Verbal feedback provided in an individual meeting with the

tutor/lecturer who set the work

Verbal feedback provided in a group meeting with the

tutor/lecturer who set the work

Other

Feedback on exams whilst at university n=4535

Which, if any, of the following ways do you receive feedback on your exams whilst at university? (tick all that apply)

Which, if any, of the following ways would be the most useful way for you to receive feedback on your exams? (tick all that apply)

T – Timely

A – Accessible

L- Legible

K - Konstructive

Why this issue may be a concern for students that identify as consumers

Area of student concern Why this issue may be a concern for students that identify as co-producers

I have paid for a service and I therefore expect it to be delivered on time

Timeliness of the feedback

Feedback that is returned after four or more weeks after the assessment will be so far from the event that it won’t be useful as part of learning process

I expect the feedback to delivered in the method most appropriate to my needs – rather than the needs of the academic

Method by which they receive feedback

Whilst I would like written feedback the most useful way for me to understand areas of improvement is through face-to-face discussions

I am paying the expert to give their thoughts on my work and so I expect lots of detail

Detailed feedback I am less concerned by detailed written comments and more about having a dialogue on specific aspects for improvement

I want good feedback to help me identify how I can pass my exam

Usefulness of feedback for their learning

I want good quality feedback to highlight areas where I can improve and deepen my learning

NUS Principles: Feedback…

1. Should be for learning,

not just of learning

2. Should be a continuous

process

3. Should be timely

4. Should relate to clear

criteria

5. Should be constructive

6. Should be legible and

clear

7. Should be provided on

exams

8. Should include self-

assessment and peer-to-

peer feedback

9. Should be accessible to

all students

10.Should be flexible and

suited to students’ needs

Assessment…

1. Should be for learning, not simply of

learning

2. Should be reliable, valid, fair and

consistent

3. Should consist of effective and

constructive feedback

4. Should be innovative and have the

capacity to inspire and motivate such as

with the use of technology

5. Should measure understanding and

application, rather than technique and

memory

6. Should be conducted throughout the

course, not simply positioned as a finale

event

7. Should develop key skills such as peer

and reflective assessment

8. Should be central to staff development and

teaching strategies, and frequently

reviewed

9. Should be of a manageable amount for

both students and tutors

10.Should encourage dialogue between

students and their tutors, and students

and their peers

6

Proportions of students at the university satisfied or very satisfied with their feedback on assessment

41.7%

11 Proportion of the assessment that is by

coursework 35.2%

Key Information Set

13 13 14

31

14

10

52 2

7

28

17

21 20

1 - Not at

all involved

2 3 4 -

Somewhat

invloved

5 6 7 - Very

invloved

How involved do you believe you are in shaping the content of your course?

How involved do you want to be?

Chart 2: There is still a disconnect between how involved students feel they are in shaping their course and how involved they want to be

Q26. How involved do you believe you are in shaping the content, curriculum or design of your course?

Q27. How involved do you want to be in shaping the content, curriculum or design of your course?

Base: All answering Section 4 (3179)

65% of students believe that if they are

expected to pay more for their university

experience they would have higher

expectations

NUS/HSBC Student Experience Report (2010)

“this market totalitarianism will utterly and irreversibly

transform the relationship between institutions and

students…If students are to pay hugely increased

fees, then they must have increased rights and

increased power.”

Aaron Porter, NUS President, Nov 2010

Table 1: Percentage of students that rated themselves against the

dichotomy of students considering themselves in a community of

learning or as consumers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I am a student engaged in a community of learning

- all students

11 10 16 11 18 8 8 7 4 7 I am a customer and expect the service I have paid for

Table 2: Subject based dichotomy of students considering themselves in a

community of learning or as consumers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Medicine and dentistry students

I am a student engaged in a community of learning

22 14 18 9 10 11 2 7 3 5 I am a customer and expect the service I have paid for

Business and administration students

I am a student engaged in a community of learning

6 7 9 10 24 13 8 6 5 12 I am a customer and expect the service I have paid for

Historical and philosophical studies

I am a student engaged in a community of learning

13 11 12 20 16 5 12 5 2 3 I am a customer and expect the service I have paid for

Why this issue may be a concern for students that identify as consumers

Area of student concern Why this issue may be a concern for students that identify as co-producers

I have paid for a service and I therefore expect it to be delivered on time

Timeliness of the feedback

Feedback that is returned after four or more weeks after the assessment will be so far from the event that it won’t be useful as part of learning process

I expect the feedback to delivered in the method most appropriate to my needs – rather than the needs of the academic

Method by which they receive feedback

Whilst I would like written feedback the most useful way for me to understand areas of improvement is through face-to-face discussions

I am paying the expert to give their thoughts on my work and so I expect lots of detail

Detailed feedback I am less concerned by detailed written comments and more about having a dialogue on specific aspects for improvement

I want good feedback to help me identify how I can pass my exam

Usefulness of feedback for their learning

I want good quality feedback to highlight areas where I can improve and deepen my learning