Feedback Style Research Articles

Leader feedback and knowledge sharing: A regulatory focus theory perspective

AbstractThis paper investigates the impact of leader feedback on followers’ knowledge-sharing behavior through a regulatory focus theory perspective. Data were collected through an experiment with 129 college students. Results showed that compared with leader’s prevention feedback style and negative feedback valence, promotion style and positive feedback valence inspire employee knowledge-sharing behavior better. These two positive relationships are mediated by promotion situational regulatory focus. The negative relationship between prevention leader feedback style and knowledge sharing is mediated by prevention situational regulatory focus, while negative leader feedback valence has its negative effect on knowledge sharing directly.

The ‘Learning conversation’ as a style of feedback in resuscitation courses

s / Resuscitation 85S (2014) S15–S121 S65 practical workshops on fundamental aspects on quality CPR that teachers were expected to confidently convey to the school community. Instructor–professor ratios were 1: 4–6. Peer assessments were carried out to ensure learning objectives were accomplished. In the third phase teachers carried out a school project, after which evaluation of the process and problems they encountered and consequent iterations to the course were made. Diverse didactic material (powerpoints, dvds, posters, stickers) was provided along with 145 manikins on a free rental basis throughout the academic year. Teachers informed on successive training through an online questionnaire. The association offered continued support whenever needed. Results: Between 2011 and 2013, 190 teachers were trained in 7 courses. Teachers reported training of 10,835 people in their school communities, themajority students, the rest included other teachers and personnel, and parents. 76% of the teachers actually continued offering CPR training in their schools one year after. Conclusions: When appropriate training and materials are made available, teachers arewilling to learn and spreadCPR in their school communities on a long term basis.

The moderator role of followers’ personality traits in the relations between leadership styles, two types of task performance and work result satisfaction

Authentic leadership is changing our understanding of what makes good leadership. However, few studies have explored how followers’ individual differences and the nature of the task they perform affect its relation to followers’ work outcomes. We examine the moderator role of two core task types (intellective vs. generative) and two personality traits (conscientiousness and emotional stability) in the relationship between two leadership feedback styles (authentic vs. transactional) and task performance or work result satisfaction in a two-wave experiment. The sample consisted of 228 participants enrolled in an organizational psychology course, 34% of whom had work experience. Our results show that over time the effect of an authentic feedback style on task performance became stronger for those participants who previously scored very low on intellective tasks or very high on generative tasks. Furthermore, a significant three-way interaction between these two traits and our leadership feedback styles indicates that the effect of authentic feedback conforms different patterns depending on the followers’ personality traits and the type of task they perform. Moreover, authentic feedback had a stronger effect on participants’ work result satisfaction. Participants with low levels of either conscientiousness or emotional stability displayed higher levels of satisfaction in the authentic feedback condition.

Closing the feedback loop? Iterative feedback between tutor and student in coursework assessments

We evaluate the case for using feedback iteratively, to improve student engagement and learning. In this model, students were invited to respond to tutor feedback with students’ own responses. Among the three courses/modules (three tutors) studied, differences in feedback styles were evident from: (a) thematic analysis of tutor comments and, for one course, and (b) comments in a student focus group. Students were inconsistent in their evaluation of tutor feedback but, in a more detailed study of one of the courses, there was clear evidence for the benefits of iterative feedback. Lessons from the main study were then applied to a course that had not previously incorporated iterative feedback. Using this experience, we provide suggestions for applying iterative feedback in assessments.

Object Manipulation Using Kinect as the 3D Sensor

ndustrial robot can extend its capability adopting sensors such as camera and laser range finder. In this paper, we deal with object manipulation including grasping objects on the table and inserting them into the hole on the vertical plane. Kinect is used as the 3D sensor. First, object location and target location is computed after processing 3D data. Robot motion obtained by solving inverse kinematics can have errors so that we adopt visual feedback style approach. Chessboard type marker is attached on the end-effector of the robot and its location with respect to the target is used to correct the robot motion.

Learners' Beliefs as Mediators of What Is Noticed and Learned in the Language Classroom

The goal of this study was to determine whether learner beliefs regarding corrective feedback mediate what is noticed and learned in the language classroom. The participants were four groups of high‐beginner college‐level francophone English as a second language learners and their teachers. Each teacher was assigned to a treatment condition that fit his corrective feedback style, and each provided feedback in response to errors with the past tense and questions in the past. Participants (N = 197) completed a beliefs questionnaire, and half (n = 99) took part in the intervention that followed. Beliefs were probed using a 40‐item questionnaire, and average belief scores were calculated for each learner. These were then correlated both with the noticing reported on an immediate recall measure and with the test scores on picture description and spot‐the‐differences tasks. The results reveal four common beliefs, two of which mediated the noticeability of the supplied feedback, but none of which impacted the learning outcomes.

The Power of Provisional/Immediate Language Revisited: Adding Student Personality Traits to the Mix

Previous research found that relatively minor changes in the wording of written assessments can influence students’ motivation and affect toward the teacher. Not considered previously, however, is the role that student personality traits might play. Are the observed effects consistent across various personality types, or are different personality types affected differently by the same teacher behaviors? This study takes a first step toward answering that question, replicating the previous written feedback style research while adding the dimension of student personality traits to the investigation. The results suggest that the treatment may not be effective for those with high extroversion, low conscientiousness, and low neuroticism. When those cases were excluded from the analysis, the variance accounted for increased substantially, supporting the notion that efficacy of the teacher behaviors is, in part, dependent on student personality traits.

A Modified Low Power FFT/IFFT Processor for OFDM Applications

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) often require an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce multiple subcarriers. The read-only memories (ROM’s) used to store the twiddle factors, are eliminated in the proposed architecture which applies a reconfigurable complex multiplier and bit-parallel multipliers to achieve a ROM-less FFT/IFFT processor .It adopts a single-path delay feedback style as the proposed hardware architecture, thus consuming lower power than the existing methodology. Keyword: single-path delay feedback, bit-parallel multipliers, low power.

Using animated agents in learner‐controlled training: the effects of design control

Animated agents have the potential to increase engagement and learning during online training by acting as personalized tutors. However, little is known about the conditions that make these agents most effective. In this study, 183 e‐learners completed a Microsoft Excel training course. Approximately half were assigned an agent with predetermined features. The others were allowed to choose their agent's appearance, personality, feedback style or all of the above features. Offering multiple choices increased learning. Unexpectedly, choice of feedback style alone decreased self‐efficacy. Choosing the agent's appearance increased self‐efficacy and the number of training modules completed. Overall, this study expands the learner control literature, identifying a new form of learner control that has some beneficial effects on knowledge acquisition.

Review of assessment feedback

This article reviews 37 empirical studies, selected from 363 articles and 20 journals, on assessment feedback published between 2000 and 2011. The reviewed articles, many of which came out of studies in the UK and Australia, reflect the most current issues and developments in the area of assessing disciplinary writing. The article aims to outline current studies on assessment feedback. These studies have explored undergraduate students' wide-ranging perspectives on the effectiveness and utility of assessment feedback, the divergent styles of assessment feedback of lecturers and tutors in various disciplines, teachers' divergent interpretations of assessment criteria and confusion about the dual roles of assessment feedback, and the divergences between teachers' beliefs and practices. The review includes analysis and comparison of the research methods and findings of the studies. It identifies a research space for assessment feedback and outlines implications for further studies.

Facilitating improved writing among students through directed peer review

This study contributes to scant empirical investigation of peer critique of writing among heterogeneously grouped native and nonnative speakers of English, now commonplace in higher education. This mixed-methods study investigated the use of directed peer review to improve writing among graduate students, the majority of whom were nonnative speakers of English. Following a modified version of the Optimal Model of peer critique of university coursework, statistically significant gains were realized between the initial draft of a business proposal and its final submission for each of the measured items: support, audience focus, writing conventions, and organization. In addition, during the qualitative phase, students were observed to identify how peer editors naturally engaged in probing and collaborative styles of feedback known as discovery mode interactions. Approximately 80% of the students engaged in interactions to clarify the text and align it with the author’s intentions, and approximately 37% sought to enhance and develop the text. Finally, the results suggest that the face-to-face peer review did improve the quality of a business communication assignment and implies a number of essential instructional practices toward improved writing and collaboration.

Influence of perceived and preferred coach feedback on youth athletes' perceptions of team motivational climate

ObjectivesThis study examined youth ice hockey players' perceptions of individual feedback received from their coach, and the agreement and discrepancies between preferred and perceived coach feedback patterns, on athletes' perceptions of team motivational climate. The following research questions were answered: How does agreement in perceived and preferred coach feedback relate to task- and ego-involving motivational climate? How does the degree of discrepancy between perceived and preferred coach feedback relate to motivational climate? How does the direction of the discrepancy between perceived and preferred coach feedback relate to motivational climate? DesignThis study used non-probability based sampling within a cross-sectional (survey) design. MethodAthletes (n = 70) completed a self-report survey comprised of measures of coaching feedback and motivational climate. The data were examined using polynomial regression and response surface analysis. ResultsLinear associations were observed between coaching feedback and motivational climate, and unique associations between the perceived and preferred coach feedback discrepancies were distinctly related to increased perceptions of both task- and ego-involved motivational climates. ConclusionsThe type of feedback, purpose of the feedback, and agreement or discrepancy in perceptions and preferences for different feedback styles are important to understanding task- and ego-involved motivational climate in youth sport. Coaching programs should assist coaches in learning their athletes' preferences for positive and negative feedback in sport and matching these preferences with their individual feedback styles.

Learning from patients: students’ perceptions of patient-instructors

Prior research on the use of patients as teachers has focused on testing the effectiveness of this practice and exploring its benefits for students. However, very little is known about the added value of patient teaching and how it relates to patient-centred learning. The aim of this study was to explore whether there is added value in using patients as instructors in health professions education and, if there is, to examine how it is constituted. Group interviews were conducted with physiotherapy and occupational therapy students who had attended a 3-hour optional class entitled 'Thoughtful joint examination and respectful patient contact'. This class was delivered by patient-instructors (PIs), who were patients with rheumatism certified to teach. A semi-structured interview guide was used. Interviews continued until data saturation occurred (seven interviews). The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using content analysis. The main finding of this study is that PI sessions facilitate a learning environment in which the content matter is complemented by the provision of realism and individual perspectives on rheumatism, the pedagogical format is characterised by authenticity and intimacy in the style of instruction and feedback, and the PI-student relationship is characterised by balanced teacher-student power relations that support the legitimacy of learning and make space for the asking of questions and the making of mistakes. This study indicates that, in terms of power relations, the PI-student relationship differs from those between faculty teachers and students, and students and patients in the clinic. The formation of a professional identity by students may clash with the fulfilment of their learning tasks in the clinical environment. The study indicates that patient-centredness can be fostered in the PI-student relationship. This is probably supported by the absence of faculty staff involvement in PI teaching sessions. However, further empirical research is required on what, how and why students learn from patients in different learning contexts.

A paradigmatic shift in response to student writing

This paper explores response to student writing in entry-level English modules in an Open and Distance Learning (ODL) context at the University of South Africa (UNISA). After an evaluation of the research undertaken by Spencer (1999) and Lephalala and Pienaar (2008), both conducted in this specific teaching context, the argument is put forward that the predominantly formalist orientation of the marking can be described as an attractor (Weideman, 2009), since it seems that the system is attracted into this state and has maintained it over a number of years. There is a need to shift towards a cognitive, reader-based orientation. The author uses the categories defined in Lephalala and Pienaar (2008) to describe feedback styles. The categories are L1 (minimal feedback), L2 (general and non-text-specific feedback) and L3 (feedback with a focus on content and organisation). Four amendments are proposed to the existing marking code which will encourage markers to operate in the desired L3 feedback category. This paper argues that these additions to the marking code will address limitations inherent in the marking code. At present, marked scripts contain a jumble of recommendations relating to content/form and global/local issues and there is little indication of the relative importance of an error. The marking code is inherently negative in orientation and promotes a formalist L1 style of response. A qualitative investigation into the reaction to the proposed changes was obtained from 33 marked samples of response to student writing provided by external markers. Compared to the data given in Lephalala and Pienaar (2008), the changes tested in this study were unable to influence the dominant L1 response strategy, but caused a shift away from L2 formulaic responses and an increase in the desired L3 feedback. There is a need for intensive investigation into feedback in this ODL teaching context and into measures to promote L3 feedback.Key words: Response, student writing, formalist approach, correction code, limitations, writing research, ODL

Feedback type as a moderator of the relationship between achievement goals and feedback reactions

The aim of the current study is to shed new light on the inconsistent relationship between performance‐approach (PAp) goals and feedback reactions by examining feedback type as a moderator. Results of a field experiment (N = 939) using a web‐based work simulation task showed that the effect of achievement‐approach goals was moderated by feedback type. Relative to individuals pursuing mastery‐approach goals, individuals pursuing PAp goals responded more negatively to comparative feedback but not to task‐referenced feedback. In line with the hypothesized mediated moderation model, the interaction between achievement goals and feedback type also indirectly affected task performance through feedback reactions. Providing employees with feedback is a key psychological principle used in a wide range of human resource and performance management instruments (e.g., developmental assessment centres, multi‐source/360° feedback, training, selection, performance appraisal, management education, computer‐adaptive testing, and coaching). The current study suggests that organizations need to strike a balance between encouraging learning and encouraging performance, as too much emphasis on comparative performance (both in goal inducement and in feedback style) may be detrimental to employees' reactions and rate of performance improvement.

Feedback alignment: effective and ineffective links between tutors’ and students’ understanding of coursework feedback

Tutors’ intentions when providing feedback may not be accurately perceived and acted on by students. In this study, 19 biological sciences students and six tutors were interviewed concerning the tutor’s intentions when providing specific feedback and the students’ perceptions and usage of that feedback. A phenomenological approach was used to analyse the interview data. Additionally, copies of the documented feedback were examined and the feedback style was classified. Student conceptions of the role of feedback included providing guidance, identifying what the tutor wants and giving meaning to the work to develop learning. Analysis of tutor feedback styles indicates that tutors were focussed on giving praise and correcting misunderstandings in the present assignment. Since developmental aspects of students’ learning were rarely addressed in tutor feedback, these findings suggest some misalignment in feedback provision. Tutors need to provide more guidance to students regarding the use of feedback, possibly by introducing better scaffolding and variation into their feedback.

Similarity effects in online training: Effects with computerized trainer agents

In this study, trainees worked with computerized trainer agents that were either similar to them or different regarding appearance or feedback-giving style. Similarity was assessed objectively, based on appearance and feedback style matching, and subjectively, based on participants’ self-reported perceptions of similarity. Appearance similarity had few effects. Objective feedback similarity led to higher scores on a declarative knowledge test and higher liking for the trainer. Subjective feedback similarity was related to reactions, engagement, and liking for the trainer. Overall, results indicated that subjective similarity is more important in predicting training outcomes than objective similarity, and that surface-level similarity is less important than deep-level similarity. These results shed new light on the dynamics between e-learners and trainer agents, and inform the design of agent-based training.

A low-power 64-point pipeline FFT/IFFT processor for OFDM applications

4G and other wireless systems are currently hot topics of research and development in the communication field. Broadband wireless systems based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) often require an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce multiple subcarriers. In this paper, we present the efficient implementation of a pipeline FFT/IFFT processor for OFDM applications. Our design adopts a single-path delay feedback style as the proposed hardware architecture. To eliminate the read-only memories (ROM's) used to store the twiddle factors, the proposed architecture applies a reconfigurable complex multiplier and bit-parallel multipliers to achieve a ROM-less FFT/IFFT processor, thus consuming lower power than the existing works. The design spends about 33.6K gates, and its power consumption is about 9.8mW at 20MHz.

Evaluating leadership effectiveness in virtual teams through creativity and performance: a qualitative analysis of an experimental study

The paper evaluates how leadership style and feedback affect a leader’s effectiveness (measured through creativity and performance) in virtual teams. The findings indicate that virtual team members’ creativity is impacted by leadership style regardless of the type of feedback whereas overall performance is impacted by feedback style alone. The objective is to provide guidelines to the virtual team leaders for improving their effectiveness based on the specific goals of a particular project.

Investigating students’ responses to different styles of essay feedback

This report describes some of the major outcomes of a GEES Subject Centre Small-Scale Project, run in the 2007–08 academic year, where first-year undergraduate students in Geography were provided with feedback on an assessed essay in one of eight different styles. These different feedback styles were evaluated by students through pre- and post-session anonymous questionnaires. This report makes a preliminary evaluation of students’ responses to these different feedback styles and considers the implications of these styles for student learning.