Generating complex formative feedback: using blogs and screen casts to promote

dialogue around content and skillsDepartment of Education

Graham Low and Bill Soden

1. Using an MA blog > Student response.2. Screencasts for formative feedback > Student

response.3. Excited discussion and questions.

Graham Low and Bill Soden

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE

Working with an MA blogGraham Low

From Laurillard onwards, the need to engage students in critical and reflective discourse has been accepted as important in HE.

Blogs & diaries seem increasingly seen as an assessment tool in HE (see Knight, 2011, p.74; Gleaves et al., 2008), with entries submitted / formally checked.

This is NOT the aim of the Lang for Ed’n blog

“it is very important to point out that increasing numbers of students do not have the luxury of time and reflection ‘space’ in which to develop intellectually and resiliently (Walker et al. 2006)” Gleaves, Walker & Grey (2008: 227)

We want a balance between “the need of students to be honest and self-critical” and “the fear that being too critical will penalise them” Gleaves, Walker & Grey (2008: 227).

Graham Low

Background

MA in Language Learning & Education c. 15-17 students per year Mostly international, but generally a range of 4-5

nationalities Running since 2003. Blog started 3 years ago.Blog relates to Term 1 module:

Language for EducationAssessment by 4-5k assignment.

Graham Low

Details

Module has VLE site with resourcesEach student has a personalised blog on a dedicated content page.So it’s integrated into the lesson & module resources.In 2009-10, blog was private for three weeks (Student and me). But S feedback requested opening from week 1. So we have in 2010-11.

Graham Low

Task

Start by reading 2 ‘good’ blogs from previous year. Students write a weekly entry on a topic of their

choice. No set length. They read and comment on at least 3 other blogs. I read each entry and respond (as a comment maker) at

the end of the week (gen. Sunday). Week 1-2 entry should include a brief personal profile.

Graham Low

Explicit aims 1

To reflect on this week’s learning: On this or other modules To relate it to previous experience To flag what was new/interesting

Graham Low

Explicit aims 2

To generate examples and data To extend topics in the blog To develop topics from previous class or

readings

Graham Low

Explicit aims 3

To ask questions Problems with understanding readings or

lectures Problems with why we did things as we did Open questions

Graham Low

FREE WRITING

BLOGHWKS (ELS) STUDY

SKILLS

MID-TERM 1 FORMATIVE

ASSIGN’T

(START OF TERM 2) ASSIGNMENTS

(EAP CRITICAL SUMMARY BLOG,

TERM 2)

(GUIDED QBLOG:

CITIZENSHIP)

MALLE ARGUING/WRITING PATHWAY, TERM 1

DEVELOP PERSONAL VOICE

+ + +

6 Implicit aims

To pick up student problems early. To develop cohesion in the group. To provide 1 more opportunity to practice

relatively academic writing (argued text) before Assignments 1 & 2.

Peer modelling: to let less experienced writers see how more experienced writers write.

Graham Low

6 Implicit aims

Autonomy: To encourage Ss to look for data, documents and resources by themselves.

Identity: To let them stamp some individuality on the module work.

Graham Low

What happened?

Contributions: All but one student contributed 3 or more sessions. S did not want to share, but didn’t want the blog closed/individual.

Problems: Seemed to work. Problems understanding classwork were raised through term.

Cohesion: Clustering. Tendency to comment on one’s friends’ entries and ignore some people.

Graham Low

What happened?

Writing: Less experienced students often keen to blog, but less keen on trying out academic style/argument.

Modelling: If the gap between most~least reflective / academic is not too great, modelling seems to have some effect.

BUT 1 reaction: ‘How can I ever create something

like that?’

Graham Low

What happened?

Autonomy: a veritable explosion of new documents and videos. Quite unexpected. Related to language education, but varied – serious ~ humorous.

I have brought several into the main module content pages for next year.

Individuality: The above, with the explanations and exhortations.

Graham Low

Far more relevantly…

Personal reactions by Rowena (not pre-programmed by me)

Graham Low

Blog Extract:Week 5 - Grammar

The question of grammar teaching is a tricky one. Should grammar be taught through a prescriptive or a descriptive approach? In his article, Hung describes grammar as 'residing not in grammar books but in the practice of it's speakers.' It would seem then that an approach that focuses on what speakers actually do, rather than what they're supposed to do is preferable. However difficulties still arise in trying to make generalisations about what speakers do; as we have already seen, there is huge variation in spoken language, between for example American and British English, different communities and between individuals, so the question of what to teach arises again. Having said that, spoken language doesn't just ignore all grammar rules. Word order for example doesn't simply get turned on it's head. Perhaps then, teachers could, at least initially, approach grammar from a more prescriptive standpoint and then as the learner advances introduce opportunities to develop their grammatical knowledge of the peculiarities of the spoken language. I also found an interesting article on grammar in modern foreign language teaching in Britain. The section entitled 'Grammar and Communicative Language teaching: A conflict?' is particularly relevant, and quite interesting! It discusses how the status of grammar in language teaching has dropped significantly. http://www.ittmfl.org.uk/modules/teaching/1b/paper1b2.PDF

I also think another issue, at least in Britain, is that we aren't taught the grammar of English. So often pupils will be confronted with grammar terms and concepts that they will struggle to grasp the meaning of; for example terms like subject and object - how can someone be expected to identify the subject or object of a sentence in a second language when they can't even identify them in their native language?

Content: Engaging with the lecture material

Writing practice: personal opinions/experience vs. critical writing

An opportunity to communicate

References

Gleaves, A., Walker, C. & Grey, J. (2008). Using digital and paper diaries for assessment and learning purposes in higher education: a case of critical reflection or constrained compliance? Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 33 (3), 219-231.

Knight, J. (2011). Distinguishing the learning approaches adopted by undergraduates in their use of online resources. Active Learning in Higher Education, 11 (1), 67-76.

Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking university teaching: A conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies, 2nd ed. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Graham Low

Screencast feedback example

Bill Soden

Using screencasts for formative feedback and exemplars

A screencast is a digital recording of computer screen activity with accompanying audio.

Aims: to raise awareness of screencasting in formative feedback and exemplars

Report intervention in two Education master’s modules (international students) Demonstrate examples + findings from small

scale study on impact

Bill Soden

Formative feedback : the problem

Lack of engagement with written feedback (wfb)is related to its limitations:

the discourse of wfb - tacit knowledge making criteria explicit (Channock,2000)

lack of shared understanding of criteria (Sadler, 1989, 2010)

lack of depth in wfb

Bill Soden

Screencast feedback example

Bill Soden

Option module intervention

Short written feedback (wfb) on formative task + screencast fb (sfb) several days laterSurvey results (survey monkey) 15/20 responses on

1)attention to both types of fb 2) evaluating wfb versus sfb

Bill Soden

Survey results

Students read wfb three times + 9/15Students viewed sfb three times+ 12/ 15

Q:If you were only able to receive one form of feedback, either written feedback comments or screen cast feedback, which of these two forms of feedback would you choose? 9 chose sfb 4 chose wfb

Bill Soden

Strengths of screencast fb (12)

“I think the most obvious advantage is that students can feel engaged as if their tutor is talking to them face to face”

“More straightforward and personal. It's like the tutor is talking to you in person. And the comments are directed to the parts of your article clearly.”

“More memorable because it likes the teacher is talking to you and giving instructions to you. sometimes I can't recognize teachers' writing in the written feedback.”

Bill Soden

Strengths of written feedback(12)

“I think the written feedback is more clear and specific about some small mistakes that I made (like some printing mistakes) while the screen cast tends to be focused mainly on the structure or some other macro aspects.

“You can read it anywhere you like (3) and it's easy to go back to check whereas the screen cast can only be read on your computer. Also, the information is more memorable to visual learners.”

“Maybe the written feedback allow us to take it to the tutor to have a face to face discussion if the feedback is hard to understand.”

Student experience? Questions from audience

Bill Soden

Screencast feedback-reflection

Time factor- technical issues with Camtasia publishing and sending feedback to students web based ‘screenr’ may be option

Sfb has all the benefits of audio fb -depth of explanation, personalisation etc. but with added visual element

Formative tasks ideal for sfb, and a general task / class feedback commentary perhaps most time effective?

Bill Soden

Exemplars – creating a shared community of understanding

“ Developing effective assessment for learning ...needs to be based on students and teachers creating a community of understanding in relation to assessment criteria and the sharing of the interpretation of these criteria (i.e. the standard).”(Elwood & Klenowski, 2002, p. 254).

Bill Soden

Time shifting feedback role of exemplars

Exemplars are whole texts assignments, extracts of student writing, or texts created by the tutor –Feedback annotated on exemplars of previous assignments- not perfectionist, real student work

‘Time-shifting’ feedback cf. pre-emptive feedback, or anticipatory feedback (Carless,2007)

Bill Soden

Time shifting feedback role of exemplars

Students generate their own feedback by comparing exemplars with assignment criteria (Handley, 2011)

“Exemplars provide concrete illustrations of the style of language and structure expected and not expected in a good assignment” (Hendry et al. 2011, p.8)

Bill Soden

Exemplars- procedure 1)Students read and do exemplar task (referring to marking

criteria)2) In class discussion (pairs-groups-tutor led)3) Post-class screencast available on VLE to confirm ideas

/permanent ‘feedback’ on the task.

-option module (20) whole assignment exemplar-core module (142 ) extracts of assignments

Bill Soden

Exemplar screencasts potential value

Screencast exemplar commentaries: Provide resources accessible outside of classroom

time - can be re-used and repay initial investment of time

Force tutors to be explicit about expectations of quality and criteria; make explicit what tutors value relating to argument in writing, e.g. use of sources to support claims, type of evidence preferred, argument structures etc.

Bill Soden

Problems with student engagement

Exemplars as models-useful for report style assignment structure, but more difficult to engage students when on complex essay style assignments

Engagement requires class discussion, but value of screencast follow up depends on students accessing VLE! (cf. Handley, 2011-discussion forum on VLE –a step too far)

Need for students to see value in terms of grade?

Bill Soden

Final Discussion Q’s for YOU

BlogsQ1: Should the T flag which (current year’s) blog entries are

somehow ‘better’ or ‘desirable’?ScreencastsQ2: Can you see relevant applications of screencast

technology to your teaching?

Q3: How can tutors make marking criteria explicit and help students to engage with feedback?

Graham Low & Bill Soden