Assessment Feedback
Top Tips
Feedback says to a student, “Somebody cared enough about my work to read it and think about it!” (Brookhart 2017, p.1). It can show students that the educator acknowledges their efforts and wants to help them improve.
Purpose
In this post the ADG takes a look at how we can visually embed feedback and feed-forward strategies into our assessment feedback practice through the use of infographics in Canvas.
Learning Context
The ADG has developed two Canvas template pages to help you provide:
- assessment top tips information to your student cohort
- a feedback template to provide information back to students on the areas of success, and the areas for improvement at the completion of an assessment.
Assessment is a developmental process that fosters self-regulated learning; learners transform their mental abilities into academic skills. Students do not always perceive marking methods as feedback, therefore be explicit i.e. when talking about marking, make the word ‘feedback’ part of your vocabulary. When feedback is provided, students feel supported and guided in their learning.
Assessments are necessary for the educator to gauge student learning and the feedback on these assessments are vital for the student to deepen their learning and to identify any gaps in their knowledge. Assessment feedback can be viewed as outcome-oriented whereas feedback based on student’s thinking before providing answers in assessments can be viewed as process-oriented feedback (Gjerde, Padgett & Skinner 2017).
According to Gjerde, Padgett & Skinner 2017, feedback can be progressive focused i.e. based on student’s thinking before providing answers in assessments (process-oriented feedback). Feedback can also be outcome focused i.e. after submission of assessments (outcome-oriented feedback). Not only does process-oriented feedback have a greater positive impact on student performance, it also inspires student learning. Students are better equipped to identify any gaps in their knowledge before they submit an assessment.
Assessment feedback is conceptualised as a ‘feed-forward’ approach: future-focussed, action-oriented and used to improve student learning (Boud 2000). Effective feedback is provided to students with an understanding that they can use it to improve future work. Focus feedback on what students should continue doing and how they can improve on their future efforts.
Return feedback on in-course assessments within 10 working days of the due date or extension date (RMIT University 2018, p. 8).
Download the Using the Canvas Top Tips & Feedback Templates – User guide below for further information.
