What Is The Usefulness Of Gaining Feedback On Assessment Tasks?
Question
Task: You are required to write a report on the following topic.
Topic: Feedback on assessment tasks has traditionally been used to help students ‘bridge the gap’ between lecturer expectations and their work. In your report, discuss the usefulness of feedback and argue the best way for students to receive feedback on their assessment tasks. Develop your arguments using examples from the feedback given from the essay (BUS100 - Assessment Item 2) and evidence found in peer-reviewed journal articles. Include recommendations for various university stakeholders to implement your findings.
You should read the appropriate topics on Interact2 and chapters of your textbook to obtain the information on writing reports.
Answer
Executive Summary
This report aims to study the usefulness of gaining feedback on assessment tasks done by the students, and the argument is given on the best ways for students to receive feedback on their assessment tasks. Research methods like qualitative methods through the use of surveys have been used for determining the findings and the discussions of the report. The findings for the research study include that the assessments needs to be made by using digital technology. Relevant conclusions are drawn based on the arguments throughout the study of gaining feedback on assessment tasks. To improve the feedback practices and the advantages gained from the same important recommendations are given, which will help the students and the student’s in the future subsequent works.
Introduction
Feedback on assessment tasks has traditionally been used for helping students so that they can bridge the gap between expectations of the lecturer and their work. Gaining feedback is one of the significant components of the assessment process. It affects the learning of the students and also contributes to their success and achievement. It is important to provide the students with important feedback from the initial so that the objectives of learning are justified. The research methods which are used for gaining the significant conclusions of this report are critical analyzation and methodologies used in the reports (McCarthy, 2015). The structure of the report includes the major findings and the discussions to meet the specific objectives. The scope of this report is to identify the problem caused when the students do not receive the necessary feedback on their assessment tasks. The purpose of this report is to make the readers understand the importance of gaining feedback on assessment tasks and what other benefits does it bring for the accomplishment of the goal and the achievement of the set target by the teachers and the students.
Findings and Discussion
What is the usefulness of feedback on assessment tasks?
Feedbacks play an important part in the assessment tasks of the students. It affects the learning process of the students and helps them in giving the direction for the path they are choosing to complete their assessments. There are certain major objectives of the feedback like it helps in giving the justification of the marks derived by the students in the assessment tasks. It also helps in identifying and rewarding the students with their specific skills and the competencies which they have used in their assessment work (Henderson et al., 2019). The capability of the students is monitored, evaluated and regulated in terms of their learning. The students are motivated to perform better following the provided feedback on assessment tasks, which thus makes them a good learner.
The feedback which is given to the students by the teachers must be constructive even if it is not so good so that it encourages the students to work harder on the same with complete efforts instead of filling them with rage and disappointment. It further helps in enhancing the level of communication among the students and the teachers benefitting the working and the learning environment. The feedback on assessment tasks which are given on time are more useful as they help the students in realizing their faults or mistakes in a better manner before they get involved in the subsequent tasks and forget the core of their former assessment. It adds meaning to the whole learning process helping them in adapting and adjusting to their learning strategies (Núñez-Peña, Bono & Suárez-Pellicioni, 2015). Not only students the teachers are also affected by the feedbacks they give helping them in gaining the knowledge of the learning needs of the students over time. Feedbacks are thus important and hold the value when it is given to the students on their assessment tasks. It gives major advantages to the students and helps them in improving their learning skills and needs accordingly.
The best way for students to receive feedback on their assessment tasks
Research methods like surveys and focus groups were used for finding out the best way for the students to receive feedback on assessment tasks. The active involvement of the students and the teachers is very important to understand the value of gaining and giving feedback. This is a two-way process and thus is effective if only taken seriously by both parties so that the maximum benefits can be gained. However, there are certain areas which need improvisation in the current practices which are used for receiving and giving the major feedbacks (Brown, Peterson & Yao, 2016). Some of the improvisations are the inclusion of sensitive feedback practices following the needs of the students. These ways must ensure that the students are getting sufficient opportunities so that they can apply the feedbacks gained on their assessment tasks.
The students must be active in seeking feedback from the students immediately after the submission of the assessment tasks so that the teachers also feel their responsibility towards the same. There are different types of leverages and the sources which the students can make use of for getting feedbacks comments from the teachers. Students can also make use of the diverse sources and the models of feedback designs to follow the practice and the moderation of the various processes and the procedures of gaining the feedbacks (Carless & Boud, 2018). The students must build their reference groups and the project teams for getting informed about the establishment of the complete framework for gaining effective feedback on assessment tasks. It is thus deduced that the students can receive feedback from the teachers by actively participating in the process. Both the students and the teachers must contribute towards the building of an effective framework for developing the system of feedbacks.
Current assessment feedback practices
There are certain strategies and designs of feedback which are used by the educators and the students to achieve the major objective and the goals of learning. There are new forms like the automated approaches which are evolving and emerging in the framework and the process of feedback. The different models and the frameworks help in gaining the success of feedback on assessment tasks and the recognition of its importance by the educators and the students in the present scenario (Myhill & Morris, 2019). There are specific assessment types and the criteria with which this feedbacks are associated so that it can be more productive and effective. There are differences in the apparent feedback practices which were used traditionally and in the present scenario, which also holds a connection with the feedback models.
Digital technology is also playing an important role in the facilitation of the best feedback practices to be used by the students and the teachers. However, certain feedback practices are successful, and there are some which aren’t. This is determined from the distinct perspective of pedagogy along with the varied perspectives of the society and the institutions (Orsmond & Merry, 2017). The sustainability of these feedback practices is also one of the deciding factors for the use of current feedback practices. Effective feedback practices like the models and the frameworks can help in sustainable planning and the engagement of the assessment tasks.
Recognition of the importance of feedback on assessment tasks
Feedbacks are important in the learning system of institutions. However, certain sections of society do not recognize or understand its importance. To gain knowledge of whether the teachers and the students recognize the importance of feedback, interviews with questionnaires were done so that their answers can help in some way or the other. The beliefs of the students and the staff members are very important to understand the purpose of the report. It also helps in the determination of the different perceptions of the teachers and the students on the feedback practices and the models (Nathenson & Henderson, 2018). The knowledge of their experiences is also gained based on the diverse modes and the sources of feedbacks. All the members were included for deducing the conclusion of the analysis from different individuals on their take on feedback practices.
The feedback practices must be improved, and its purpose must be recognized by the major population of the students and the teachers. It encourages the students in their overall learning process. Moreover, it also helps in justifying the grades which are received by the students by the teachers on their assessment tasks. There are uses of different feedback frameworks and the models which help in identifying the purpose of the feedback on assessment tasks for the students and the teachers. Thus, the structured and properly constructive feedbacks helps the students in their subsequent works and assessment topics (Brookhart, 2017). It helps in bridging the gap between their lack of knowledge and their unrecognized mistakes. The students are found to have an easier understanding of the feedback and its purpose as compared to the teachers. Personalized, as well as professionalized feedbacks are necessary for building strong relationships and communication among the teachers and the students.
The recognition of the importance of feedback on assessment tasks helps in supporting and developing the educators so that they can further improve the feedback practices and bring the necessary moderations to gain the maximum result. There are diverse assessment tasks that are performed by the students, and thus, there is a need to give them feedback so that they can understand their strengths and weaknesses. This will help them consistently in their learning practices and make them committed to their learning processes and practices. Some findings suggest that the students and the teachers are also making use of the websites and the online scholarly resources to use this system of feedback practices in the best of their forms. Dissemination of the results is very important when such activities occur, and the two major sources of learning of any institution are involved in the same. Performing the assessment tasks becomes interesting when the students get the major information in the form of feedback on assessment tasks, motivating them to be more active and conscious in the subsequent tasks of the future.
Conclusion
It is thus, concluded that feedback on assessment tasks are an important and valuable component of the learning system. It serves major benefits to the students and the teachers in the institution. The usefulness of gaining and receiving feedbacks is well understood in the above arguments. The students can adjust and adapt new strategies for learning and doing the assessments based on the feedback they receive. There are new strategies and frameworks developed for receiving feedback on assessment tasks by the teachers. Some of them hold relevancy in the current scenario, and some do not.
The students and the teachers have been interviewed so that their perspective on the feedbacks can be gained. Various major points on feedback and the current practices of the same have been highlighted to understand the take of the students and the teachers on the same. The well-structured feedbacks are also important to make them more effective in the achievement of the set goal and the objective. Emphasis has also been given to the moderation and the improvisation in the feedback system so that it proves to be more efficient and productive. Feedback is one of the complex processes which requires the active involvement of both the students and the teachers and thus must be taken seriously by the institution in order to enhance the learning process in the institution.
Recommendations
Feedbacks are considered one of the major elements in the learning process of the students in an institution. There are chances of improving the feedback practices and the frameworks so that they prove to be effective in the future. There are important aspects that can be taken into consideration to make the system of feedback widespread among the students and the universities in the future.
1) The feedback on assessment tasks must be valuable enough so that it has a positive and effective impact on the students and on their subsequent works in the future. It is recommended that feedback should be provided in person one on one so that students have the opportunity to listen to the feedback and clarify any doubts.
2) It is recommended that the feedback must be constructive in nature so that it does not adversely affect the students.
3) The purpose of providing the feedback on assessment tasks is to motivate and encourage the students to perform better in future assessment works. The complexity in the entire process of giving and take of feedbacks must be reduced so that it does not act as a burden for the members of the institution. It is recommended that the students should be provided opportunities to resubmit unless it is corrected so that student could actually learn without wasting the entire year.
4) The use of digital technologies can be made to bring improvisations in the feedback practices and the frameworks. Automated approaches can be taken to ensure the engagement of the students and the teachers and proper dissemination of the objectives of feedbacks.
References
Brookhart, S. M. (2017). How to give effective feedback to your students. Feedback on assessment tasks ASCD.
Brown, G. T., Peterson, E. R., & Yao, E. S. (2016). Student conceptions of feedback: Impact on self?regulation, self?efficacy, and academic achievement. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 86(4), 606-629.
Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(8), 1315-1325.
Henderson, M., Ryan, T., Boud, D., Dawson, P., Phillips, M., Molloy, E., & Mahoney, P. (2019). The usefulness of feedback. Active Learning in Higher Education, 1469787419872393.
McCarthy, J. (2015). Evaluating written, audio and video feedback in higher education summative assessment tasks. Issues in Educational Research, 25(2), 153.
Myhill, D., & Morris, R. (2019). Assessment Practices: Student Voices on Their Experiences of Assessment across the Transition. Transitions from Vocational Qualifications to Higher Education, Emerald Publishing Limited, 79-94.
Nathenson, M. B., & Henderson, E. S. (2018). Using student feedback to improve learning materials. Routledge.
Núñez-Peña, M. I., Bono, R., & Suárez-Pellicioni, M. (2015). Feedback on students’ performance: A possible way of reducing the negative effect of math anxiety in higher education. International Journal of Educational Research, 70, 80-87.
Orsmond, P., & Merry, S. (2017). Tutors’ assessment practices and students’ situated learning in higher education: chalk and cheese. Feedback on assessment tasks Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 42(2), 289-303.
