Assessment & Feedback Literature Review

Improving Assessment and Feedback Practices in a Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning Environment: An Overview of the Literature Dr Ann Ooms Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences Kingston University and St. George’s University of London Hendrik van der Sluis Academic Development Centre Kingston University

Content
Institutional context
Definitions
Value of formative assessment and feedback
Effective feedback
Use of technology in formative assessment and feedback

Institutional context
Decreased resources since 1980’s (Gibbs et al, 1996; Gibbs, 2006; Hounsell, 2007)
Increased student numbers
Increased large class sessions
Increased student-staff ratio
Decreased contact hours, increased self-study time
Less coursework
Less time per student for guidance and support
Modular & semester (Gibbs, 2006; Hounsell, 2007)
Increased modular and semester structure
Small modules, more (small) ‘end-load’ summative assessment
Shorter length of modules leaves less time to practice, more focus on content, less on progression
Student characteristics (Gibbs, 2006; Hounsell, 2007)
More part-time students (employed)
Concerns about coping with workload
Conservative in assessment approach
Try to identify the hidden curriculum
Diminished belief that feedback ‘makes a difference’

Three strands in literature
Value of formative assessment and feedback
‘ Good’ formative assessment and feedback
Use of technology in formative assessment and feedback
Literature review
Post 1998
Mainly post-secondary education
90 publications

Definitions: Assessment
Assessment is all activities that educators and students undertake to get information that can be used diagnostically to alter teaching and learning (Black and Wiliam, 1998)
Formative
Assessment for learning (Black and Wiliam, 1998; Chappuis, 2009)
Learning-orientated assessment (Knight, 2006)
Formal and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning (Chappuis, 2009)
‘ Low stakes’ assessment judgement, “fuzzy and exploratory and conversational in character” (Knight, 2002: 277)
Summative
Assessment of learning
Assessments that provide evidence of student achievement for the purpose of making a judgement about student competence or program effectiveness (Chappuis, 2009)
‘ High-stakes’, “the judgements need to be highly reliable” (Knight, 2006: 439)

Definitions: feedback
Formative
A dialogue between to provide information about students’ understanding
Informs both educators and students to measure effectiveness of learning activity and to adapt teaching if necessary
Summative
Measure to what extent learning outcomes have been achieved
‘ Low-value’ - ‘high-value’ (Hounsell, 2007)
Potential impact of the feedback on learning

Value of formative assessment and feedback for students
Identify gaps between desired and current knowledge, understanding, skills (Ramaprasad, 1983; Sadler, 1989)
Provides information about the effectiveness of their learning strategies (Yorke, 2003; Sadler, 1998)
Significant learning gains (Black and Wiliam, 1998)
Particularly beneficial for lower achieving students (Black and Wiliam, 1998)
Impacts student progression (Hodgson and Bermingham, 2004)
Improves conceptual development (Bell, 1995)

Value of formative assessment and feedback for students
Enhances motivation (Orsmond et al, 2005, Nicol and MacFarlane-Dick, 2004)
Encourages reflection (Orsmond et al, 2005)
Empowers students as self-regulated learners (Black et al, 2003; Nicol, 2008)
Improves self-esteem (Nicol and MacFarlane-Dick, 2004)
Impact general academic experience (Hodgson and Bermingham, 2004)
Impacts students employability (Yorke, 2005)

Value of formative assessment and feedback for educators
Information (Black and Wiliam, 1998; Wiliam et al, 2004)
Data collected through formative assessment provides information to educators about the effectiveness of teaching practices and learning activities
Educators can use this data diagnostically to alter teaching practices and learning activities when needed
Formative assessment is essential for good pedagogy and teaching (Black and Wiliam, 1998; Garrison and Ehringhaus, 2004)

Feedback
Students  identify misunderstandings and weaknesses  diminish misunderstandings  tailor future study efforts  insight in own learning strategies Teachers  identify students’ misconceptions, challenges,  adapt teaching practices

Components of Effective Feedback
Rapid/timely (Tilson et al 1998, Yorke 2007, Yorke 2005, Scheeler et al 2006, Di Battista et al 2004, Gibbs & Simpson 2004)
Corrective (Scheeler et al, 2006)
Constructive
Specific comments (Bangert-Drowns, Kullick and Morgan, 1991; Elawar and Corno, 1985)
Specific areas / suggestions for improvement (Bangert-Drowns, Kullick and Morgan, 1991; Elawar and Corno, 1985)
Encourages students to focus their attention on their learning and understanding rather than on getting the right answer (Bangert-Drowns, Kullick and Morgan, 1991; Elawar and Corno, 1985)

7 Principles for Good Feedback (Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick, 2004)
Clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards)
Facilitate the development of reflection and self-assessment in learning
Deliver high quality feedback to students
Encourage educator and peer dialogue around learning
Encourage positive motivational beliefs & self esteem
Provide opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance
Provides information to educators that can be used to help shape future teaching

Use of Technology in Formative Assessment and Feedback
Technologies used in online and face-to-face learning
Virtual Learning Environments
Discussion board & Test Manager
Electronic Voting System
Podcasts
Personal Digital Assistants
Text messaging
Tablet PCs
 limited research-based literature

Discussion board: Examples
Keppell et al, 2006; Gaytan & McEwen , 2007
Potential for peer feedback, sharing and responding
Wickstrom, 2003
Self-assessment, reflection & sharing
Prins et al, 2005; Gaytan & McEwen , 2007 ; Nicol, 2010
General feedback, question – answer
Handley & Williams, 2009
Exemplar feedback (general feedback)
Heinrich, et al, 2010
Clarify assessment expectation and requirements
“ Defining and clarifying of assignment tasks and avoid duplication of students’ questions”

Computer-Adaptive Testing
Lilley and Barker (2007)
Correct errors in understanding
Enable student to identify what they need to achieve in order to increase understanding
Increased proficiency in summative assessment
Buchanan, (2000), Dibattista et al (2004)
Received instant feedback
Enhance performance
Peat & Franklin (2003)
No differential effect on performance
Miller (2009)
Moderately effective student learning
Student use of feedback lower as expected

Electronic Voting Systems
Freeman, 1997; Cue, 1998; Wit, 2003; Boyle and Nicol, 2003; Draper and Brown, 2004; Ashton et al, 2004; Masikunas et al, 2008; Hudson & Bristow, 2006 ).
Useful for providing rapid feedback to students
Enables students to compare their answers with their peers. Self-directed learning
Educators can use it as a diagnostic tool
Feedback students receive helps them to learn
Knowledge reinforcement

Podcasts
Ribchester et al, 2008, Middleton et al, 2009; Rodway-Dyer et al, 2009; (Rotheram, 2007)
“ In the right circumstances, podcasting can enhance assessment feedback and, therefore, augment the student learning experience” (Ribchester et al, 2008)
Oral feedback on summative assessment
Oral feedback on formative assessment
Greater depth and detail of feedback
Highly personalized
Students felt more engaged with oral feedback than with feedback in writing
Focused more on feedback than on mark
Challenge: feedback is separated from assignment
Feed forward

Personal Digital Assistant
Perry, 2003
Palmtops have potential to act as a study aid via interactive quizzes and exercises for which rapid feedback can be provided

Tablet PCs
Cicchino and Mirliss, 2006
Used Tablet PCs for student presentations and peer feedback
Peers provided feedback in writing on Tablet PC, which was valued

References and contact info
References see notes
Dr. Ann Ooms
[email_address]
Hendrik van der Sluis
[email_address]

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Assessment & Feedback Literature Review

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