Sally Bartholomew: Academic Skills Co coordinator Deirdre Burke: Lecturer Sue Oldham: Academic Skills Advisor University of Wolverhampton 3rd International Personal Tutoring and Academic Advising Conference: Improving student success Feedback tutorial template Linked learning

Overview Deirdre: issues in student use of tutor feedback Sally: strategic response Activity 1. Participants receive an essay with feedback: exploration of the problems facing students on receiving written feedback on an essay. Sue: role of Skills Advisor: a paired activity in which the roles of student and skills advisor are undertaken, drawing upon a student essay and feedback. Sally: Feedback on this activity will bring out the benefits and drawbacks of a time constrained tutorial. Activity 2. Deirdre: leading into the use of a feedback template. In same pairs identify hyperlinks to materials that guide, provide online tutorials, or exemplars of student work. Sue: internal research studies on the provision of hyperlinks. Sally responses from participants on post-its

Student use of tutor feedback Students do not read feedback If they read feedback is often misunderstood Even when read and understood is rarely acted upon. (Falichikov 1995) Challenge - to get students to read, understand and act on feedback.

Strategy Lack of guidance for students on what to do with feedback (Weaver 2006) No guidance on how to address issues in tutor feedback (Burke 2007) Lack of clarity on what appropriate work would look like (Sommers 1982).

StaffStudents Feedback is helpful in detail Frequently (43) Sometimes (73) Feedback prompts discussion with tutor Frequently (63) Never (50) Feedback improves learning Frequently (49) Sometimes (72) Maclellan, E ‘Assessment for Learning: the differing perceptions of tutors and students’ in Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol.26, No.4, pp Gap in perceptions of feedback

Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Critical Interventions for Enhanced Learning (CIEL) The ASK approach ATTITUDE: change- to help students rethink their belief in assignment/learning closure STRATEGIES (recognition of variety of learning styles and needs as a starting point): electronic links/ academic study skills feedback tutorials KNOWLEDGE (cognitive and practical): - Understanding the need to act on feedback. - Knowing how to act on feedback.

Strategic response SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES, LANGUAGES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC SKILLS Purpose of the centre To develop and deliver academic skills support provision across the School’s portfolio designed to enhance student progression and retention by concentrating on academic literacies and academic socialisation To engage in research supportive of the ILE and the School’s Learning and Teaching Strategy.

How do I find out what ‘more analysis’ means?

Activity 1. Unpacking tutor feedback Please get into pairs to explore the feedback on the essay. One person act as the student requesting support One person act as a Skills Tutor: (see next slide) Ten minutes to draw out issues from the feedback and suggest ways for the student to act on advice.

Study Skills Advisor Role To deal with a range a issues students wanted help with Help unpick tutor feedback Suggest further resources or support staff Be a critical friend

Feedback Tutorial Example Summary of Learning Needs to be developed: Your tutor noted that you demonstrated a good understanding of the general topic but that you needed to develop your planning so that you use the information to answer the set question. -specific feedback from Tutor -identified from looking at work -response to student query We looked at the tutor feedback and comments on the text of your essay to see where you could have used material more explicitly, and also at the importance of cutting out material that was not relevant. Hyperlinks: These links will take you to sources that will support your learning: Please follow guidance below to let us know how these links helped you follow up tutor feedback. Try this tutorial on Structuring an argument Feedback from student: Please these questions and them: Does the provision of hyperlink make you more likely to follow up advice? Yes/ No Did the particular links meet your learning needs? Yes/ No Please add any comments on this feedback activity: Then click on the link below and the questions into the , fill in your responses and send it back to the project team.

Three levels: 1. information Introductions To provide a reminder of what is expected Generally speaking, an effective introduction: 1. introduces the topic of the piece of writing 2. provides any necessary definitions of terms in the topic 3. provides any necessary background information on the topic 2. online tutorials Introductions in Arts essays Provide an opportunity to develop the required skills/ understandings: Read this section and identify the three elements of an introduction mentioned above? 3. Exemplars- annotated essays Provide an opportunity to see what appropriate work would look like: The beginnings of the Holocaust, that is to say the point at which it was decided that a program of mass murder would be undertaken against Europe's 11 million Jews, has been a much debated topic among historians.

Guidance aboutOnline tutorialExamples Introductions:Check out this guidance on Writing Introductions and Conclusions ?level5=5556 Try this tutorial on Writing introductions nline/writing/arts/philosophy/2.3. xml nline/writing/arts/philosophy/2.3. xml Explore how Meg introduces her essay and her tutor’s comments on why this was a good introduction: writing/arts/history/3.2.3.xml Analysis:Check out this guidance on Writing critically: /writfram.htm /writfram.htm Try this tutorial on Analysing historical claims: nline/writing/arts/history/2.2.xml nline/writing/arts/history/2.2.xml Explore this student’s attempt to analyse the evidence: writing/arts/history/3.1.3.xml writing/arts/history/3.1.3.xml Conclusions:Check out this guidance on Writing Introductions and Conclusions ?level5=5556 Try this tutorial on writing conclusions: writing/arts/sociology/2.2.2.xml writing/arts/sociology/2.2.2.xml Explore this conclusion and the advice to make it stronger: writing/arts/history/3.1.3.xml Academic writing Use of precise and accurate language Check out this guidance on the Features of academic writing: /writfram.htm /writfram.htm Try this tutorial on academic writing: writing/arts/sociology/2.3.xml writing/arts/sociology/2.3.xml Try this tutorial on Avoiding ‘I’: writing/arts/sociology/2.3.1.xml writing/arts/sociology/2.3.1.xml Renee's Sociology essay illustrates the use of precise and accurate language writing/arts/sociology/3.1.3.xml

Underlying pedagogy Students need to take ownership of their work, to accept and understand tutor comments to align their work against learning outcomes Formative feedback encourages students to develop their work to achieve ‘academic literacy’ = writing in the way required by their discipline Role of exemplars to help students ‘see’ what is required by their subject, also seeing other work helps students to be objective about their own work.

Activity 2. Feedback template In your pairs reverse roles: One person to act as the student One person to act as Skills Tutor and complete the Feedback tutorial form during the tutorial.

Our student feedback on Electronic Links Prioritising Learning Styles met Convenience Level/Nature of link I start with one link and work across the 3 areas recommended. I liked the quizzes and interactive stuff – I learn best by testing myself! I made myself do ten minutes revision per day on each of the sites. I’m much more likely to use this link than looking at a study skills book When I clicked on the link, the information was just too hard I knew the theory, so the tutor just sent me to the practice site!

Student Feedback following session with Study Skills Advisors Satisfied Unsatisfied No Response Handouts59%12% 02%15% Electronic66%22%12%000 Survey of 2009 sessions on Walsall Campus

Benefits of template Clear direction to session Useful and organized links for skills tutors to refer to Tangible links and for follow up by students Encouraging feedback from students to improve on advice

Over to you Please use the post-it notes to offer your perspectives: Green: aspects of the template you think will work Blue: suggestions for improvement Red: aspects you think will not work

Thank you Thank you for your participation in this session, if you would like more information or to be involved in the research, please consult the linked webfolio or contact:

References Burke, D. (2007) ‘Getting the most out of feedback:’ in Nutt, D. & Tidd, J. (Eds.) 1 st European First Year Experience: Conference April 2006, pp , Teesside, University of Teesside. Falchikov, N. ‘Improving Feedback To and From Students,’ in Knight, P. (Ed.) (1995). Assessment for Learning in Higher Education, London: Kogan Page, pp Lea, M.R. & Street, B. (1998) Student Writing in Higher Education: an academic literacies approach, Studies in Higher Education, 23 (2), MacLellan, E. (2001) Assessment for Learning: the differing perceptions of tutors and students, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 26(4), Race, P. (2001) ‘Using feedback to help students to learn’ York: Higher Education Academy. Sommers, N. ‘Responding to Student Writing’ College Composition and Communication, Vol. 33, No. 2., 1982, 148 – 156. Weaver, M.R. (2006) Do Students value feedback? Student perceptions of tutors’ written response, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(3),