Feedback on writing: concerns,

suggestionsChristina Hendricks

Philosophy, UBCNovember 21, 2013

Helping students become self-regulated writers

Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick (2006)

• Self-regulation: students set goals to be reached, have effective strategies for achieving them, and the ability to put those strategies into effect.

• Students must know:

1. what good performance is (i.e. the student must possess a concept of the goal or standard being aimed for);

2. how current performance relates to good performance (for this, the student must be able to compare current and good performance);

3. how to act to close the gap between current and good performance. (these three points quoted from Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick 2006, p. 204; referring to Sadler (1989))

Problems in feedback for self-regulation

Goals set by students for their work differ from those needed to complete the task well

• Suggestions: written descriptions of criteria & standards, examples of work that does/does not live up to them, peer review to evaluate others’ work on criteria (Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick 2006, p. 206)

Problems in feedback for self-regulation

Students don’t understand how their work hasn’t lived up to goals

‣ Feedback too vague, not enough detail (Weaver, 2006; Walker, 2009; Carless, 2006)

‣ Students don’t see how feedback applies to their work

‣ Students don’t understand feedback (Walker, 2009)

• Example: “too much description, not enough analysis” (Chanock, 2000)

Problems in feedback for self-regulation

Students don’t know how to bridge gap between current work and successful performance

‣ Need feedback that gives specific suggestions for improvement on future work (Weaver, 2006; Carless, 2006)

‣ Feedback should be related to goals/standards/criteria, and show how students’ work reaches or falls short of those (Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick, 2006)

• Marking rubrics may be helpful for this

Problems in feedback for self-regulation

Students are unable to use feedback to improve future assignments

‣ Not enough feedback that can be transferred to later work; most or all is focused on particular assignment (Lizzio & Wilson, 2008)

‣ Too many comments; students overwhelmed (Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006; Lunsford, 1997)

‣ Too much negative feedback demoralizing; positive feedback vague while negative specific (Weaver, 2006)

‣ Feedback comes too late to be used on later work

Discussion

• What do you do when providing feedback on student work that you think is effective (or not)?

• What one or two things will you take away from all this to use in giving feedback in the future?

Works citedCarless, D. (2006). Differing perceptions in the feedback process. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 219-233.

Chanock, K. (2000). Comments on essays: Do students understand what tutors write? Teaching in Higher Education, 5(1), 95-105.

Lizzio, A. and Wilson, K. (2008). Feedback on assessment: Students’ perceptions of quality and effectiveness. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(3), 263-275.

Lunsford, R.F. (1997). When less is more: Principles for responding in the disciplines. New Directions For Teaching and Learning, 69, 91-104.

Nicol, D.J. and Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218.

Sadler, D.R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18, 119-144.

Walker, M. (2009). An investigation into written comments on assignments: do students find them usable? Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 34(1), 67-78.

Weaver, M.R. (2006). Do students value feedback? Student perceptions of tutors’ written responses. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(3), 379-394.