Exploring ways of using formative feedback to improve student engagement with simulation modules.

Vicky Thirlaway

Amy Musgrove

Assessment for Learning

• Assessment "of" learning or assessment "for" learning?

• "Backwash" effect of assessment (Biggs, 1996)

• "Authentic" assessment increases engagement

• Assessment must be seen to be "valid"

Simulation Tasks

• Case simulation is used in many different disciplines now, as it allows students access to "real world" activities.

• Assessments within a simulation often demand that students demonstrate new skills

• Feedback has to be an integral part of any assessment for learning strategy (Black and Wiliam 1998, Parkin et al, 2012)

• Simply creating formative tasks related to the learning objectives may not be sufficient to convince the students of their value.

Engagement, or just interest?

• The two terms are not necessarily synonymous (Handley et al 2011)

• Students may be interested in an activity, and be able to see it's worth, but will not necessarily engage with it (Coles 2009)

• Students may express a preference for "alternative" assessments, but see them as labour intensive and, crucially, may not understand what is required (Sambell et al 1997)

Suggested formats for formative assessment

• "Traditional" practice question

• Computer generated feedback (eg MCQ's) - non-judgmental (Beeves et al 2010 cited in Jordan, 2012) and allows private mistakes (Miller 2008), relatively low tutor workload.

Adding the element of compulsion

• Multi-staged assessment, with peer review (Carless et al 2011)

• Multi-staged assessment with tutor feedback

• Student as assessor

References 

Biggs JB (1996) "Assessing learning quality: Reconciling institutional, staff and educational demands" Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 21: 5–16.

 

Black, P and Wiliam, D (1998) "Assessment and classroom learning" Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice" 5(1): 7-73

 

Cauley, K, M and McMillan, J. H (2010) “Formative Assessment Techniques to support student motivation and achievement” The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 83:1, 1-6

 

Carless, D, D. Salter, M, Yang, and J. Lam. (2011) "Developing sustainable feedback practices" Studies in Higher Education 36, no. 4: 395–407.

 

Clark, I (2008) "Assessment is for Learning: Formative Assessment and Positive Learning Interactions" Florida Journal of Educational Adminsitration & Policy 2(1): 1-15

 

Clarke, I (2012) “Formative Assessment: Assessment is for self-regulated learning” Educ Psychol Rev, 24, 205-249

 

Coles, C (2009) "The Role of New Technology in Improving Engagement among Law Students in Higher Education", Journal of Information, Law & Technology (JILT), 3, <http://go.warwick.ac.uk/jilt/2009_3/coles>

 

Duncan, N. (2007) "Feedforward’: Improving students’ use of tutors’ comments." Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 32, no. 3: 271–83.

 

Gikandi, J. W, Morrow, D and Davis, N. E (2011) “Online formative assessment in higher education: A review of the literature” Computers and Education, 57, 2333-2351

 

Handley, K, Price, M and Millar, J (2011) “Beyond ‘doing time’: Investigating the concept of student engagement with feedback” Oxford Review of Education, vol37, No.4, Aug 2011, 543-560

 

Jordan, S (2012) “Student engagement with assessment and feedback: Some lessons from short-answer free-text e-assessment questions” Computers and Education, 818-834

 

Mann, S.J. (2001) "Alternative perspectives on the student experience: alienation and engagement" Studies in Higher Education, 26(1): 7-19

 

McDowell, L. ‘Assessment for Learning’ in L. Clouder & Broughan (eds) (2012) “Improving Student Engagement and Development Through Assessment” London: Taylor & Francis

Miller, T (2008) “Formative computer-based assessment in higher education: The effectiveness of feedback in supporting student learning.” Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 34 (2), 181 - 192

 

Orsmond, P, Maw, S, Park, S, Gomez, S & Crook, A. (2013): Moving feedback forward: theory to practice, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38:2, 240-252

 

Parkin, H. J, Hepplestone, S, Holden, G Irwin, B and Thorpe, L (2012) “A role for technology in enhancing students’ engagement with feedback” Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Vo.37, No.8, Dec 2012, 963-973

 

Price, M, Handley, K and Millar, J (2011) “Feedback: Focusing attention on engagement.” Studies in Higher Education, Vol.36, No.8, Dec 2011, 879-896

 

Schartel, S. A (2012) “Giving Feedback: An integral part of education” Best Practice and Clinical Anaesthesiology, 26, 77-87

Sambell, K, McDowell, L and Brown, S (1997) “'But is it fair?' an exploratory study of student perceptions of the consequential validity of assessment” Studies in Educational Evaluation 23 (4), pp 349-371

Wingate, U (2010) “The impact of formative feedback on the development of academic writing” Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, vol.35, No.5, Aug 2010, 519-533