Dialogic feed-forward assessment: Re-energising the undergraduate essay

Hill, Jennifer; West, Harry

Abstract

Assessment exercises a major influence on student learning and achievement (Boud 2007). Yet QAA subject reviews identify assessment practices as one of the weakest features of Higher Education (Rust et al. 2005). In terms of the student learning experience the feedback process following assessment is the least satisfactory element. This is exemplified in consistently low satisfaction scores for assessment and feedback in the National Student Satisfaction surveys, where most concern surrounds the timeliness, quality and effectiveness of feedback. We examine how the traditional essay can be used innovatively with students within a dialogic framework to move them beyond ‘regurgitation’ of information. We adopt a qualitative case study approach, undertaking semi-structured interviews with students from two consecutive cohorts who have undertaken dialogic feed-forward coursework on a second year undergraduate physical geography module in a British university. The assessment consists of submitting a considered draft of a coursework essay, which is discussed and evaluated face-to-face with the course tutor before a self-reflective piece is written about the assessment process and a final essay is submitted for formal grading. We test the social constructivist theory that if academic staff and students discuss feedback together students might learn to actively reflect upon feedback, developing their capacity to translate key content and ‘feeding forward’ this learning (Brown 2007). We examine whether this process asserts a positive influence on the student learning experience, in supporting student performance/achievement, and in potentially raising NSS scores related to feedback (Higgins et al. 2001, Sutton 2009).

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference
• Start Date: Aug 30, 2017
• End Date: Sep 1, 2017
• Acceptance Date: Aug 30, 2017
• Publication Date: Aug 30, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2019
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: dialogic, feed-forward, assessment, re-energising, undergraduate, essay
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/882562
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference