Providing feedback online Assignments and Discussions

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Providing feedback - online Assignments and
Discussions

• Dr Rebecca Johinke
• Lunchtime e-learning session
• 8 July 2009

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Background

• WRIT1002 Academic Writing (formerly ENGL1000)
• Unit of study description
• This unit, taught by the Department of English,
  introduces students to rhetorical studies and
  communication theory. It is designed to improve
  writing at all undergraduate levels in a variety
  of formats across a range of disciplines. It
  teaches students to construct persuasive
  arguments that are logical, ethical and engaging.
  Students are encouraged to think critically about
  the production and reception of a variety of
  texts and to view writing as a process involving
  research, drafting, revising, editing and
  collaboration.

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What we do

• With a focus on essay writing, we target
• Research skills
• Critical thinking
• Argumentation
• Ethical writing practices
• In rhetorical terms ethos, pathos logos

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How and why

• Emphasis on staged assessment tasks incorporating
  feedback loops
• Encourages deep learning
• Discourages plagiarism

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Learning situations

• Blended learning comprising
• One live lecture a week
• One face-to-face tutorial a week
• Comprehensive online material (including online
  lectures, glossaries, writing guides, examples
  of assessment tasks etc)
• Mandatory discussion board

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Off-line initiatives

• Stage One Essay outline and Annotated
  Bibliography
• Stage Two Final essay critical reflection
  statement responding to initial feedback
  (includes discussion in lectures and tutorials
  about the nature of feedback)
• Exemplars of all assignments are available on the
  WebCT site

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Benefits

• students actually pick up their work and read the
  feedback carefully and reflect about it over a
  period of time
• encouraged to think about the nature of feedback
• encouraged to start work early
• less plagiarism
• better essays

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On-line initiatives

• In-class on-line tests have replaced the
  traditional exam
• The test(s) comprise of peer-review exercises
  where students mark a former students work

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On-line initiatives

• Discussion board
• Rationale as it is a writing unit, students need
  the extra writing time rather than another live
  lecture

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Rationale, continued

• Democratic learning community -- more active
  learning

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Rationale, continued

• Feedback loop from live lectures -- allows me to
  clarify unclear points and judge how they are
  responding to the material -- I always include a
  response to their posts in the live lectures

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Rationale, continued

• Rebuttal skills -- provides a forum where they
  can rehearse engaging with and rebutting others
  ideas which improves this aspect of their essays

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How it works

• Questions posed in live lecture -- usually
  relates to a reading or issue raised in the
  lecture
• Students also encouraged to comment about any
  pertinent issue raised in the lecture or readings
• There is a requirement that they read other
  students posts and respond to them
• Unlimited number of unassessed posts allowed but
  only a small number assessed

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Hints

• Provide word counts, deadlines and late penalties
• Link to lectures and readings but also provide
  some flexibility
• Always provide exemplars
• Build into the task a requirement to read and
  respond to other students posts
• Warnings about netiquette plagiarism (emphasise
  words like respect, generosity, scholarly debate,
  dialogue, lively engagement, making space for
  other voices and opinions)

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Hints, continued

• If possible, hold tutorials in rooms with
  internet access and computers
• Monitor but dont moderate the board
• -- stay in the background and let the students
  answer each others questions. This makes the
  whole experience much more active and avoids them
  directing all queries to the authorities.

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Regrets, Ive had a few

• Dont overestimate how comfortable students are
  online
• Time and workload issues (for staff and
  students)-- also related to slow internet access
  /or access to computers on campus
• Problems with WebCT -- search function, grading
  forms, marks being released accidentally etc

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Demonstration

• Let me show you what it looks like

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References and Suggested Readings

• Gaudry-Hudson, Christine., and Sepideh Yalda.
  Knowledge Strands Enhancing student perception
  of online postings. College Teaching 56.2
  (Spring 2008) 97-101.
• Kleinman, Sharon. Strategies for encouraging
  active learning, interaction, and academic
  integrity in online courses. Communication
  Teacher 19.1 (2005) 13-18.
• Larson, Bruce E., and Timothy A. Keiper.
  Classroom Discussion and Threaded Electronic
  Discussion Learning in Two Arenas. Contemporary
  Issues in Technology and Teacher Education 2.1
  (2002) 45-62.
• Light, V., E Nesbitt, P Light JR Burns. Lets
  you and Me have a Little Discussion computer
  mediated communication in support of campus-based
  university courses. Studies in Higher Education
  25.1 (2000) 85-96.
• Mann, Sarah J. Alienation in the learning
  environment a failure of community? Studies in
  Higher Education 30.1 (February 2005) 43-55.
• Meyer, Katrina A. Face-to-face versus threaded
  discussions the role of time and higher-order
  thinking. Journal of Asynchronous Learning
  Networks (JALN) 7.3 (September 2003) 55-65.