Tutor Feedback Research Articles

E-formative feedback in emergency remote learning: First-year student teachers' experiences and challenges

This study examined the role of e-formative feedback in emergency remote teaching and learning for first-year student teachers. Numerous scholars have acknowledged the pedagogical value of formative feedback in teacher education. However, there is a pressing need for significant improvement in the quality and accessibility of e-formative feedback provided to student teachers in online learning environments. This study explored the nature of e-formative feedback, technological challenges, and pedagogical practices employed by teacher educators when implementing formative assessment in emergency remote learning contexts. The study is underpinned by Interactive Tutoring Feedback model as the theoretical framework. We utilised the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach, specifically employing a case study methodology as a means of inquiry. The empirical investigation involved 20 first-year student teachers selected purposively from a large public university in South Africa. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysis of learning management system logs, with thematic analysis employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that meaningful e-formative feedback could have been enhanced by addressing contextual factors such as limited internet connectivity and a lack of familiarity with online learning platforms. While student teachers valued the quality of e-formative feedback, they expressed concern regarding their ability to consistently access and engage with feedback to improve their learning in the isolated online environment. This paper recommends providing both student teachers and teacher educators with the necessary technological support and training to effectively utilise e-formative feedback and enhance student teachers' academic achievement and professional development during emergency remote learning.

Factors affecting student engagement in online courses in bachelor of education programmes

This study explores factors contributing to the low engagement of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) students in online courses at the Faculty of Education, Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). Despite integrating a Learning Management System (LMS) into a blended learning model, learner participation in online activities remains suboptimal. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine students across three B. Ed programmes in Natural Sciences, Drama and Theatre, and Special Needs Education using an exploratory qualitative design. The findings reveal organisational factors such as technical issues, delayed course availability, insufficient tutor feedback, and course-related issues, significantly affecting engagement. Student-related factors include reliance on mobile devices and the need for more motivation due to a lack of incentives. This study highlights the need for more responsive support systems, better course design, and enhanced interactive features to foster greater student engagement in online learning.

Contrasting on-line and face-to-face clinical communication skills training with simulated patients by mixed method analysis

Background: Medical education had to adapt quickly by switching to online learning due to the pandemic lockdown. This paper compared face-to-face clinical communication skills (CCS) teaching to delivering the same course online. Methods: During lockdown (2020-21), 175 medical students took the CCS course online, compared to 154 face-to-face trained students in the previous academic year. The CCS course aims to develop skills in history taking (2nd year) and motivational interviewing techniques (3rd year). Students participated in theoretical lectures and practical skills training sessions composed of SP encounters, followed by instant SP and tutor feed-back, all online. After the practical examination, multi-source feed-back was obtained. Multi-source feed back from the online course was qualitatively analyzed with hierarchical thematic coding of free text. Face-to-face and online teaching activities were compared in terms of attendance and course grades. Results: Eighty-eight second and 87 third year students received online training, 73 second and 81 third year students trained face-to-face. Attendance rates did not differ, average course grades were higher in the online delivered courses for both years (year 2 history taking skills course face-to-face 81,29±20.323 vs. online 95,45±20.949, p

Effects of using rubrics in self-assessment with instructor feedback on pre-service teachers’ academic performance, self-regulated learning and perceptions of self-assessment

This study aims to explore the effects of pre-service teachers’ use of rubric in self-assessment with instructor feedback on academic achievement and self-regulated learning. Their perceptions and experiences of the self-assessment intervention were also investigated. A total of 79 pre-service teachers participated in the study. A mixed methods approach was used as a blend of experimental and qualitative design. The quasi-experimental research model with pretest/posttest control group design was employed in the quantitative phase of the study. The pre-service teachers (N = 79) were assigned to either use of rubric in self-assessment involving tutor feedback condition or a non-self-assessment condition for their essay assignments. Besides, the pre-service teachers’ perceptions and experiences of using self-assessment with instructor feedback were explored in the qualitative phase of the study. Data were collected using a rubric, an achievement test, a self-regulation in learning subscale and reflective journals. The results indicated that the rubric used in self-assessment with instructor feedback group had higher achievement and use of self-regulated learning strategies than the no-intervention group. The reflective journals also revealed that most of the pre-service teachers found the self-assessment a useful learning tool. They felt that it helped them to improve their learning by guiding them to set their own goals, monitor their progress and reflect on their learning through their own tasks. The implications for educational research and practice are discussed.

Promoting clinical reasoning in undergraduate Family Medicine curricula through concept mapping: a qualitative approach.

Clinical reasoning is a crucial skill for physicians, enabling them to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application. The gap between basic sciences and clinical practice persists as a challenge, with traditional teaching methods yet to effectively bridge it. Concept maps (CMs), visual tools for organizing and connecting knowledge, hold promise for enhancing clinical reasoning in the undergraduate medical curriculum. However, further research is required to ascertain if CMs facilitate clinical reasoning development in medical students transitioning from basic sciences to clinical practice. This study aims to delineate how CMs can facilitate clinical reasoning in patients with multimorbidity within undergraduate Family Medicine curricula, as perceived by students and tutors, and to understand the implementation process and resources required. This exploratory qualitative study formed a part of an action research project. While introducing an educational intervention to 5th-year medical students, we conducted a qualitative evaluation. Subsequently, semi-structured group interviews were conducted with students, and a focus group was conducted with tutors. Three main educational impacts were identified: integration of clinical information, support for patient management and care plan, and collaborative learning. Key aspects for successful CM implementation included clear instructions for map construction, using user-friendly software, allocating sufficient time for the task, encouraging group discussion of CMs, and incorporating tutor feedback. CMs are pedagogical tools that facilitate clinical information integration and support management and treatment plans, helping students better understand multimorbidity patients and promoting some components of clinical reasoning in undergraduate medical education.

Fulfilling K-12 Students' Mathematics Needs: Near Peer Teaching and Scientific Intelligent Clustering Tutor Approach

This investigation delves into the pressing need for curriculum reform in Indonesia, specifically examining the "Merdeka Belajar: Kampus Merdeka (MBKM)" policy, with a focus on the Near Peer Teaching (NPT) model. Previous studies have flagged NPT's shortcomings, attributing them to inconsistent tutor feedback rooted in relational challenges. Despite positive anecdotal evidence of student transformation through NPT, such accounts often lack objectivity. This research strategically surveys K-12 vocational schools in Kuningan, honing in on challenges in Mathematics to inform responsive teaching strategies. Noteworthy is the persistence of selecting peer tutors based on final exam scores, a practice upheld despite the initial randomness in NPT tutor selection, creating hurdles in gauging effectiveness. Paradoxically, empirical data suggests that third-semester students make better tutors, yet the fixation on final exam scores persists. To propel the NPT model forward, the study advocates for clustering tutors based on scientific intelligence, integrating the innovative application of machine learning algorithm K-Means. This comprehensive approach melds quantitative data science with qualitative Deep Interviews, aiming to refine and optimize the identification of suitable peer tutors. The crux of the findings revolves around the imperative to refine the selection process for peer tutors, considering factors such as interest, motivation, and academic achievement, to significantly amplify the efficacy of NPT within the learning environment..

An intelligent tutoring system for programming education based on informative tutoring feedback: system development, algorithm design, and empirical study

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) for programming learning based on information tutoring feedback (ITF) to provide real-time guidance and feedback to self-directed learners during programming problem-solving and to improve learners’ computational thinking. Design/methodology/approach By analyzing the mechanism of action of ITF on the development of computational thinking, an ITF strategy and corresponding ITS acting on the whole process of programming problem-solving were developed to realize the evaluation of programming problem-solving ideas based on program logic. On the one hand, a lexical and syntactic analysis of the programming problem solutions input by the learners is performed and presented with a tree-like structure. On the other hand, by comparing multiple algorithms, it is implemented to compare the programming problem solutions entered by the learners with the answers and analyze the gaps to give them back to the learners to promote the improvement of their computational thinking. Findings This study clarifies the mechanism of the role of ITF-based ITS in the computational thinking development process. Results indicated that the ITS designed in this study is effective in promoting students’ computational thinking, especially for low-level learners. It also helped to improve students’ learning motivation, and reducing cognitive load, while there’s no significant difference among learners of different levels. Originality/value This study developed an ITS based on ITF to address the problem of learners’ difficulty in obtaining real-time guidance in the current programming problem-solving-based computational thinking development, providing a good aid for college students’ independent programming learning.

Medical Students' Perception of Telesimulation Training: A Qualitative Analysis.

Over the past 2 decades, simulation-based learning has become an essential part of medical training. Simulated clinics have proven to be effective for training medical students. Even so, this learning method presents organizational and financial challenges that limit its dissemination to all medical students, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Simulated teleconsultation retains the advantages of interactive simulated clinics while offering concrete solutions to the challenges faced. The project aims to explore students' perspectives on simulated teleconsultation training compared to simulated clinics in person. Ten pre-clerkship students in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa participated in interviews following in-person and teleconsultation simulated clinic sessions. The interview guide was developed based on previous work. The questions asked concerned experience with teleconsultation, interaction with the tutor and patient, practical or logistical obstacles, educational value and feasibility. The authors evaluated the results using a thematic analysis. The interview analysis showed that the tutor feedback received during the simulated teleconsultation was comparable to that received after the in-person simulated clinic. Although most of the students enjoy teleconsultation, they raised the challenge of carrying out physical examinations and creating a personal connection with the tutor/patient. Given the circumstances of the pandemic and students' comfort with technology, the new generation of medical students seems prepared to embrace teleconsultation. The themes identified in the analysis will enable the necessary adjustments to be made in order to optimize their teleconsultation training, an inextricable step in promoting the active offer of healthcare services.

The Development of an Academic Literacies Programme for Students in Britain and Beyond

Richmond’s Academic Literacies Programme (ALP) is a content-based form of instruction for university students which teaches critical reading, research skills, content synthesis, and writing and presentation skills. It is designed to empower all students to research and write effectively throughout their undergraduate studies. This article is a quantitative case study review of a British-American university’s ALP, examining student feedback across academic disciplines on specific taught ALP skills and comparing their improvement from 2014 to 2022. Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests showed students valued research, critical reading, academic writing, essay structure, understanding academic honesty, using tutor feedback, and referencing skills; however, survey development and recommendation reports were not meeting student needs in their majors and so were removed from the programme. In comparison, in a follow-up review conducted in 2022, the skill of identifying research gaps was not effectively used or applied. However, independent group testing found the usefulness of skills at the lower learning level improved from 2014 to 2022, as did the application of skills at the higher level. This study concludes that ALPs are valuable for all university students beginning higher education research, regardless of first language or degree course.

Evaluating student feedback literacies: a study using first-year business and economics students

Feedback is a process in which students play a central role. To support this process, recent conceptual research suggests that students need to develop feedback literacies. However, additional empirical research is required to validate emergent frameworks of feedback literacy, including an investigation of the components of feedback literacy, their interconnections and their impact on students’ learning. This study assessed students’ level of feedback literacy and the interconnections between the theorised components of a framework developed by Carless and Boud. It also investigated the association between students’ uptake of tutor feedback and their performance on a nested and authentic assessment task. Participants were N = 130 first-year Business and Economics undergraduate students. Data were obtained from these students through a self-report survey, analysis of changes made based on tutor feedback, and grade improvement on their final assessment. The results support interconnections between some of the components of the feedback literacy framework, and suggest a positive association between student feedback literacy and task performance. These findings not only strengthen understandings of feedback literacy theory, but also help educators identify which areas of student feedback literacy most need to be improved to enhance the effective use of feedback.

Perception and knowledge of learners about the use of 3D technologies in manual therapy education – a qualitative study

ObjectivesManual therapy is a specific hands-on approach used and taught by various professions such as physiotherapy and osteopathy. The current paradigm of teaching manual therapy incorporates the traditional ‘See one, do one, teach one’ approach. However, this ‘teacher centred’ approach may not enable learners to develop the complex clinical skills of manual therapy. In this context, 3D technologies such as virtual reality may facilitate the teaching and learning of manual therapy. Hence the aim of the current study was to investigate the perception, knowledge and attitude of manual therapy learners about the use of 3D technologies in manual therapy education.MethodsAn exploratory qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews was used in this study. A total of ten manual therapy (5 physiotherapy and 5 osteopathic) students (mean age = 32; 80% female) enrolled in an appropriate physiotherapy or osteopathic degree provided by a New Zealand recognized institution (e.g., university or polytechnic) participated in this study. Data saturation was achieved after 10 interviews (average duration: 35 min) that provided thick data. A thematic analysis was used for data analysis.ResultsSix factors were identified which appeared to influence participants’ perception of role of technology in manual therapy education. These were (1) the sufficiency of current teaching method; (2) evolution as a learner (a novice to an expert); (3) need for objectivity; (4) tutor feedback; (5) knowledge and (6) barriers and enablers. These six factors influenced the participants’ perception about the role of 3D technologies in manual therapy education with participants evidently taking two distinct/polarized positions (‘no role’ (techstatic) versus a ‘complete role’ (techsavvy)).ConclusionAlthough 3D technology may not replace face-to-face teaching, it may be used to complement the traditional approach of learning/teaching to facilitate the learning of complex skills according to the perceptions of manual therapy learners in our study. The advantage of such an approach is an area of future research.

Training for English Teachers on Writing Scientific Articles and Using Mendeley as a Collaboration and Reference Tool

Writing scientific articles is a skill that must be owned by a teacher and the usage of Mendeley technology in writing scientific articles is a supporting facility in obtaining qualified scientific papers. Therefore, the execution of training activities needs to be carried out with the purpose of enhancing the motivation, knowledge, and abilities of high school English instructors in the city of Palembang. The activity model carried out is mentoring with the lecture approach, discussion, peer and tutor feedback and assignments. Evaluation of activities is carried out by administering tests and questionnaires as well as monitoring and documenting articles produced by the teacher. The findings of the evaluation demonstrated that the enthusiasm, knowledge, and skills of teacher participants in writing scientific articles increased. However, teachers still have issues using Mendeley as a citation and collaborative tool.

Let me introduce my friend, law: a pedagogical tool for supporting diversity and critical thinking in the legal classroom

ABSTRACT If law was a person, what kind of person would they be? In this article I discuss the process of designing and delivering a first-year law seminar around this question. I explain how the question was leveraged towards the aims of (a) creating space for diverse perspectives and (b) developing critical thinking skills among the law students: dispositions we felt were important for law students to establish early in their legal studies. I further explain how critical pedagogy and playfulness informed the seminar structure and allowed us to design the class towards these two aims. While both student and tutor feedback on the seminar was positive, I conclude by outlining potential areas for improving the seminar design and delivery.

Clinical portfolios as a tool to develop competence in radiography education

IntroductionClinical portfolios are used in healthcare programmes to prepare students for their professional careers by promoting reflective practice and critical thinking. There is a paucity of research related to students' and educators’ perceptions of the effectiveness of clinical portfolios in radiography education. MethodsA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted to explore radiography students' and educators' opinions on the contribution of portfolios to students’ personal and professional development. Optimal portfolio content and administration was investigated. Questionnaires were distributed to a stratified sample of second-, third- and fourth-year undergraduate radiography students and recent graduates from a 4-year BSc Radiography program in Ireland. A second questionnaire was sent to academic staff involved in clinical education. Participation was on a voluntary basis and data anonymous. ResultsSixty participants provided the student perspective and seven provided the educator perspective. All educators and most radiography students (58–83%) agreed that the portfolio contributed effectively to personal and professional development. Tutor feedback and competency assessments were ranked the most valuable elements of the portfolio by both students and educators. The remainder content ranked from most to least beneficial were; image appraisal assignments, self-reflection, training needs analysis and modality objective lists. Final-year students and new graduates valued self-reflections more than novice students. Online portfolio administration was preferred over paper administration (5:3) due to greater efficiency, accessibility, and interactivity. ConclusionThe clinical portfolio was perceived to be an effective tool for developing competence in radiography education. Study findings may be used to optimise radiography clinical portfolio design and administration. Implications for practiceThis study is the first to highlight elements of a clinical portfolio deemed most effective in competence development from the perspective of radiography students and educators.

Key factors for designing and delivering an effective asynchronous professional learning experience

In this paper, we explore the key factors for designing and delivering an effective asynchronous professional learning experience. This research study was developed with 107 participants in a module of a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) - a qualification which is offered to new academics at a United Kingdom (UK) Russell Group university, in line with practice at many other UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The module design was led by a range of factors which the relevant literature deems important for ensuring successful asynchronous online learning design. A questionnaire was created to measure participants’ overall perceptions regarding efficiency (learning context, facilitation, tutor feedback, peer feedback) and gains (presence, participation, persistence, connectedness, sense of community, learning experience). Participants were also invited to refer to the extent to which peer collaboration contributed to learning, to how far they felt part of a community on the module and to whether the asynchronous learning approach facilitated learning. Our results both confirmed and contradicted the positive findings of the literature: respectively, our participants did indeed find that many of the asynchronous design factors led, for them, to successful learning; they also identified some of the factors (e.g., peer feedback) as more challenging. We discuss the results of our study in terms of the effectiveness of this range of factors, considering the specific context of our module; we raise relevant questions about the issues and dilemmas involved in designing and delivering asynchronous learning courses when participants have a dual role as both learners and teachers.

Effect of Feedback and Strategy Training on Undergraduate Students’ Writing Ability

A combination of writing skill training and revision feedback was evaluated to increase text quality in higher education. The goal of this study was to review the feedback and provide strategy training for enhancing academic writing. The methodology includes the interaction of cognitive and metacognitive support that is crucial for mastering difficult tasks such as academic writing, particularly in higher education. Writing ability and text quality were assessed using items and ratings. First, text structure knowledge application strategy improved academic writing skills; second, feedback related to writing experience improved text quality; undergraduates benefited from informative tutoring feedback, while postgraduates benefited from try-again feedback; and third, the combination of writing strategy and feedback did not improve text quality significantly. To improve writing performance, the demands on working memory must be decreased so that executive attention can be directed to controlling their interactions. In theory, this can be accomplished through focused practise that assists authors in developing executive control through regular writing opportunities and timely, appropriate feedback. Automated essay scoring software may be able to relieve instructors of their time-consuming grading duties, significantly boosting the amount of writing practise pupils receive.

Examining evaluative language used in assessment feedback on business students’ academic writing

Written assessment feedback in higher education has been examined from different perspectives. However, there is limited empirical evidence of how tutors use language to provide assessment feedback on students’ assessed academic writing. By deploying the rarely used Appraisal framework in Systemic Functional Linguistics, this innovative study examined the use of evaluative language by tutors in feedback on undergraduate business students’ academic writing in two assignments at a distance university. The data consisted of 16 tutor assessment feedback summaries on eight students’ written assignments and interviews with those students. The Appraisal system of Attitude ( Judgement, Appreciation and Affect ) was used to analyse the evaluative language of the summaries. The analysis of student interviews provided insights into their perceptions of tutor feedback, complementing the linguistic analysis. The findings suggest that tutors’ evaluative language was primarily used to judge students rather than to appreciate the assignment, and show their emotional reactions, potentially owing to the distance learning context. Additionally, while most of the feedback was perceived positively, students found certain types of tutor feedback less helpful. The paper has implications for moving assessment feedback research forward through applying the Appraisal framework, improving assessment strategies and tutor formative feedback practices in writing assessment. • Examines feedback summaries on distance undergraduate students’ assignments. • Investigates innovatively evaluative language in feedback summaries through an SFL Perspective (Appraisal framework). • Feedback summaries focus on students’ writing behaviour rather than their assignments. • Tutor’s choice of evaluative language can affect student learning experiences.

Understanding student preferences for one to one writing appointments post-pandemic

The academic writing scheme at the university is a near-peer service, which provides students with the opportunity to book one to one appointments with an academic writing tutor. All academic writing tutors are currently studying for their PhD and offer support to students with planning assignments, being critical, structuring their writing, understanding tutor feedback and referencing. When launched in 2019, all appointments took place in-person in the university library. When Covid-19 hit in March 2020, the service moved online, with appointments taking place over Microsoft Teams. However, with this, we noticed a drop in appointment bookings. Within this study, an online survey was conducted, and the 701 responses analysed to investigate students’ preferences in relation to the delivery of one to one writing appointments post-pandemic. The results indicated a preference for in-person appointments to be available, with 55.8% of the respondents choosing this. The main factor was the preference for communicating in-person as it allows for more questions and a natural conversation. However, there is clearly still an appetite for appointments to be delivered online, with postgraduate students in particular expressing an interest in this format. Students indicated that the accessibility of appointments for students who are not on campus regularly as the biggest factor for choosing online as their preference. It can be concluded that a hybrid model, where students can choose between the two appointment types is most appropriate, which along with increased targeted promotion to specific faculties and year groups, should increase the usage of the service.

CHAPTER 12: Exploring Tutor Engagement in Responding to Students’ Needs Through Care-full, Online, Formative Feedback.

The COVID-19 disruption in higher education (HE) necessitated a rapid migration to emergency remote teaching. The transition to online learning and its dependence on technological resources and connectivity posed a challenge to equitable opportunities for student access, engagement and support. Blended learning courses, based on sound pedagogical principles were in a stronger position to make this transition to online learning as students were used to the technology and had been inducted into processes of providing online feedback. This chapter is based on research which explores tutors’ involvement in providing online formative feedback to enhance student academic literacies and epistemological access within a remote context. The study approaches issues of social justice and equity through a political ethics of care lens. Furthermore the study highlights the relevance of care-full and attentive formative feedback and pedagogy within an unstable, remote teaching and learning (T&L) context. It draws on research conducted between 2018 and 2019, supplemented by recent collaborative reflections on tutor practices of engaging students in feedback, by the authors. The chapters explores the following: development of student academic literacies through online tutor feedback on formative assessment tasks. It focuses on tutor capacity to provide online feedback; the building of tutor and student feedback literacy and developing the social and emotional environment for feedback. It was found that the structured support which was embedded in the course, using a blended learning approach, enabled continuity of support and learning during the COVID-19 lockdown. Insights from this research can inform policy and practice which enhance social justice through the development of students’ academic literacies in an integrated way within remote and blended learning contexts.

Analysis of tutors’ responses to students’ queries in a second linear algebra course at a mathematics support center

This paper analyses six years of tutor feedback produced after inquiries made by students in a second linear algebra course at a university mathematics support center (MSC). We utilized Mason’s (2002) pedagogical tactics to build a model to analyze MSC tutors' feedback responding to these students’ queries. The aim of this research was to investigate the nature of students’ difficulties with concepts in a second linear algebra course that emphasizes theories and proof, in addition to examining the tactics employed by tutors to resolve student difficulties. We analyzed 227 feedback comments from 44 tutors based on their interactions with 82 students over six years. Our findings indicated that the most common areas of difficulty were basis, vector space, subspace, span, and proof. Tutor tactics deployed included ‘being mathematical’, ‘simplifying and complexifying’, and ‘worked examples’. We also discuss some implications for linear algebra tutor training.