UWE Bristol Reflection and The Art of Dialogue... Presentation by Name Cathy Higgs Title: Associate Head of Department (Construction)

Structure Introduction Related Research Developing assessment literacy Dialogue & Reflective portfolios Student Feedback

Need For Review… “Experience without reflection is like running in a mouse wheel: the scene stays the same, and we don’t get anywhere.” Learning No.3: Time to Process, Time to Reflect http://tokenteach.wordpress.com/tag/student-feedback/

Communication! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4I1Ghb5kb0&feature=related

Feedback: all that effort, but what is the effect? Feedback is deemed to be ineffective if students do not act on it (Gibb & Simpson) Student do not necessary read their feedback…they may not understand or use it. Focus on longitudinal developments Knight and York(2004) Focus on longitudinal development not only including feedback directed at supporting improvements in the next assignment but also providing advice and guidance that supports slowly learnt literacies. In

Student and Staff were clear that the relationship between student and assessor at the heart of a successful process.

Seeing things from our perspective... Assessment literacy

Impact of level of engagement

Reflective portfolio Review of level 2 module Review of Summative Assessment Review of Formative Feedback Review of Student Directed Formative Feedback

Electronic Dialogue

Dialogue

Engagement & Management SIMPLE FLAGGING SYSTEM USED: 100: SATISFACTORY 50: NEED TO DISCUSS

Did you find the reflective logs useful in creating a dialogue between us to discuss the coursework? Yes, the formal activity helped me spend the time at reasonable intervals ensuring I was reviewing my work and asking any questions I had. Actively looking for questions to ask helped me pay attention to elements which I may have otherwise ignored/'put off' till later.

Did you find it useful to reflect on the feedback and create action plans? Yes, even when engaged in reflecting for reflection's sake, I found that it helped me develop techniques or strategies for my work.

Do you think that they helped you in the performance on the module? Yes, by having a formal process, 'forcing' me to review, engage and come up with questions, I was better able to address issues I may otherwise have left or not thought of.

If there were no reflection exercises, would you have considered your feedback to the same depth.

And beyond... Thanks Cathy   Remembering what you said about getting a good mark on this being linked to a good mark on our dissertation next year, I was happy to see the mark and hoping it means I've developed skills that will help me next year.  

References David Nicol & Debra 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 David Nicol (2010): From monologue to dialogue: improving written feedback processes in mass higher education, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35:3, 501-517 Margaret Price, Karen Handley, Jill Millar & Berry O’Donavan (2010): Feedback: all that effort, but what is the effect? Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35:3, 277 – 289

Thank you & Any questions