Assessment and feedback

There are two main types of assessment with distinctly different purposes:

The main purpose of summative assessment, or assessment OF learning, is to check what students know, usually for the purpose of measuring performance so that you can award a grade or a qualification, but also to document achievements and standards to present to external stakeholders. As a GTA, you may be involved in summative assessments by becoming part of a marking team.

You will have a greater role in formative assessment, or assessment FOR learning. This entails a whole host of assessment methods for the purpose of ascertaining the student’s current level of learning so that you can provide feedback to enable the student to progress towards achievement of the intended learning outcomes. This is where the link between assessment and feedback is most apparent.

Why not try some of these formative assessment methods with your students:

Come along to the Introduction to Assessment and Feedback for Learning course, where we discuss these methods in more detail.

Consider these definitions of feedback:

“Information communicated to the learner that is intended to modify his or her thinking or behaviour for the purpose of improving learning” (Shute 2008).

 “Feedback involves dialogic processes whereby learners make sense of information from various sources and use it to enhance their work or learning strategies” (Carless 2016).

Do you agree with either of these definitions?

Each definition has a different purpose: Shute’s definition presents a product-oriented view of feedback, i.e. the teacher gives something (information/advice) to the learner, whereas Carless presents a process view of feedback, engaging the learner in a dialogue and placing the emphasis on the student rather than the teacher.

Both definitions may be helpful when considering what feedback is and why you are doing it. However, Carless’ process-oriented view helps us to shift away from the idea that the teacher is the main source of information. The main difference between these definitions is perhaps the difference between telling and showing.

Giving feedback is in many ways rather a personal and subjective process, so there is no ‘best’ way that will work for everyone. However, there are several models which you can try out:

The feedback sandwich

This is a common and easy-to-use technique to ensure there is a balance between positive and constructive feedback. You start by commenting on something the student has done well, then identify an area for development, and finish with another piece of positive feedback.

This approach is quite popular as it is a simple technique. Some, however, find the concept of the feedback sandwich problematic. It is sometimes criticised for being too simplistic and for making constructive criticism (the part between the two positive slices of bread) seem scary or undesirable. The ‘sandwich’ is also constructed by the tutor with little input from the learner.

Pendleton’s rules

Pendleton’s (1984) rules are commonly cited as a method of providing balanced feedback. The model is presented as a list of five rules:

• Clarify any points of information; state the facts.
• The learner identifies what they think went well.
• The teacher adds their observations and thoughts and reinforces the positive points.
• The learner adds what went less well and what they would do differently next time.
• The teacher adds their thoughts and recommendations for next time.

This method is similar to the feedback sandwich, providing a balance of positive and developmental feedback, but the learner is engaged explicitly in a dialogue with the tutor.

BOOST

The BOOST model ensures that key qualities of good feedback are present:

• Balanced – Mix of positive and constructive, developmental points.
• Observed – Provide examples of what you have seen and/or heard.
• Objective – Focus on actions and behaviours that can be changed. Avoid subjective comments about the student or about behaviours which cannot be changed.
• Specific – Refer to specific examples from the student’s work.
• Timely – Provide the feedback as soon as possible after the assessment has taken place.

PEE

This approach helps to make sure feedback is succinct and targeted:

• Point: what have you observed? What do you want to draw the student’s attention to?
• Explain: what is the effect of what you have observed? There may be positive and developmental comments here.
• Example: contextualise your comments by finding a specific example in the student’s work.

These models are intended to help instigate feedback processes and to help you to frame the feedback conversations you have with your students. Explore these, and other approaches, and find what works best for you. Come along to the Introduction to Assessment and Feedback for Learning course to explore these approaches further.

Information about providing effective feedback can also be found in the following document, which can be found on the supervisors’ guidebook webpages:

• Providing Effective Feedback

As well as giving feedback to students, it is important to also gather feedback on your teaching so that you can reflect on and evaluate your teaching. Try out some of the following:

• One minute paper – this has already been mentioned as a formative assessment method. However, you could also use this technique to ask for feedback on an aspect of your teaching. You are likely to receive more useful and honest feedback if this is done anonymously online. You could also use information from one minute papers to reflect on your teaching of a particular concept: if the majority of students raise the same topic or issue, it is likely that you need to reconsider how you to teach that particular point.
• Polling – various types of polling have also been mentioned as a formative assessment technique. You could set up an anonymous Mentimeter poll with questions about your teaching.
• Teaching diary – you can keep a diary in which you note down brief reflections after teaching sessions or particular activities. This can help you to verbalise your thoughts and experiences, and reflect on practices that work particularly well and those which require changes and improvements.
• Peer observations – reciprocal peer observations are an excellent way of exchanging feedback on teaching practices. Observe, and be observed by, as many GTAs as possible. Teaching is a personal activity and you are likely to learn something different from each person you observe. It is also useful to practise giving feedback to others on their teaching. If you are applying for Associate Fellowship of the HEA, you will need to conduct a peer observation and write a peer reference for a fellow GTA. There is more detailed information about observations in the Microteaching course.
• Observations of academic colleagues – you can also gain useful insights into teaching methods by observing experienced academic colleagues. If possible, it is helpful if some of your colleagues can reciprocate and observe you, too. As well as providing you with feedback, they are also likely to learn from your teaching.
• Staff-student liaison committees – student representatives gather feedback on the teaching of each course, so you can gather useful insights by asking for the comments from your course staff-student liaison committee. You could also find out who the student representatives are and ask them to seek feedback from the students on your GTA work.
• Attend a Microteaching session – the GTA Programme runs a Microteaching course. This session involves teaching a 10-minute, filmed segment of a lesson to one or two tutors and a small group of GTAs (a maximum of five GTAs per session). This provides a ‘safe’ space to practise teaching and to gain instant feedback from tutors and peers. The schedule of Microteaching sessions can be found on the Microteaching course page on Blackboard and on the GTA website.

• Carless, D. (2016) Feedback as dialogue. In: M. A. Peters (ed.) Encyclopedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-287-532-7_389-1.
• Nicol, D. (2007) Principles of good assessment and feedback: Theory and practice. Paper presented at the REAP International Online Conference on Assessment Design for Learner Responsibility. 29 May 2007, Scotland.
• Nicol, D. & D. Macfarlane-Dick (2006) Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education. 31(2):199-218.
• Shute, V. J. (2008) Focus on formative feedback. Review of Educational Research. 78(1): 153-189.