Who is ISANS? ISANS is the leading deliverer of settlement services in Atlantic Canada We are the primary contact in Nova Scotia on refugee, settlement and immigration issues for 2,000+ organizations, employers, government departments and individuals annually

Vision and Mission A community where all can belong and grow Helping immigrants build a future in Nova Scotia

ISANS Programs & Services ‘One-stop Shop’ English Settlement Employment Business Community Employer Support Online and Pre-arrival

The role of personalized feedback in online courses Muhammad Nawaz, EAL Instructor The role of personalized feedback in online courses

Outline Introduction Feedback: face to face vs online Types of feedback Features of effective feedback Style and technique What we do How we do it Benefits (motivation – retention – course completion) Testimonials

Introduction ISANS online courses: overview [Online platform will be demonstrated at this point] Feedback in online writing courses Best practices at ISANS

Types of Feedback Numeric or letter grade Written or descriptive (directly in LMS boxes) Written or descriptive via word file uploads Verbal (through built-in voice recorders) Video (through built-in devices or podcast) BigBlueButton livestreaming Peer feedback on discussion forums

Features of Effective Feedback Meaningful, focused and clear (plain language) Easy to follow Critical and reflective A tool to develop instructor-student trust relationship Motivating and engaging

What We Do Give detailed feedback; however, manage the length of comments Use descriptive format and attach a word file Customize feedback to each task goals and each learner Manage time considering number of students Highlight errors and add specific comments Encourage questions on feedback points

Personalized Personalize and customize feedback Highlight discrepancies in the skill area and add comments in the margin Refer back to previous feedback for repeated errors

Focused Focus on competencies and task objectives Communicate directly to the learner Address all points in the task in separate paragraphs or point form Use sandwich technique

Timely Timely and immediate Ongoing and incremental Formative in nature or helps in the next task Decreases learners’ uncertainties and feeling of isolation Avoids content disconnection Increases self-reflection Builds on improvement

Scaffolding Scaffolds skills and concepts Refers back to previous feedback Builds on what learners already know Helps learners achieve specific goals of the task Refers to web-based resources Highlights errors but mitigates learners tension Unifies the learning process

Consistent Maintains pace and quality of feedback for all Promotes learners’ ownership through tips for self-directed learning Uses plain, concrete and clear language and avoids ambiguity Encourages all learners to ask questions

Benefits of feedback Motivates learners and increases retention Increases the rate of course completion Improves self-reflection Improves learners’ skills and confidence in writing Increases participation on discussion forums Encourages learners to take more online courses

Limitations of feedback Raises learners’ expectations (sometimes hard to meet) Difficult for instructors if the group is large Time consuming /can cause stress for instructors Workload /can affect quality if workload is unmanageable Waitlists may be long / may result in larger groups

Testimonials “Due to accurate and very detailed feedback from our facilitator I have no question for the last units”. “I appreciate all the feedback, correction and suggestion you gave during this writing course. I couldn't have completed this course without your help, support and encouragement”. “Thank you once more for the time you spent on each feedback. The explanations were detailed and clear. They really helped to understand where the problems were.” “I just want thank you for creating an environment of enthusiasm for learning and room for making mistakes along the way. I have saved every feedback so I try to work my way through it in the future. I would never manage to complete it without a good guidance”. [June 11, 2018]

Instructional Design & IT Support Professional instructional designers and IT specialists Create attractive layout of courses Embed technology tools Integrate high quality audios and video Support making changes in content Fix broken links Provide on-going tech support

Questions? Thank you! Contact Email: mnaz@isans.ca