{"id":370,"date":"2013-11-20T15:14:00","date_gmt":"2013-11-20T20:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/edvice\/?p=370"},"modified":"2023-08-29T10:41:01","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T14:41:01","slug":"practice-and-assessment-grading-and-feedback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/edvice\/2013\/11\/20\/practice-and-assessment-grading-and-feedback\/","title":{"rendered":"Practice and Assessment, Grading and Feedback"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post highlights key takeaways from Chapter 5 of\u00a0<\/em>How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching, by Susan A. Ambrose, Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Marsha C. Lovett, and Marie K. Norman. This book has become an essential resource for TLC programs and initiatives, so much that we have invited Drs. DiPietro and Lovett to keynote at our annual conference on January 17, 2014! See below for details.<\/em>– \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 –<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear expectations. Hours of grading. Ample feedback. No improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fifth chapter of How Learning Works<\/em>, on practice and feedback, starts with testimonials on student performance that most instructors will find all too familiar. The first example tells of a professor who spent hours grading assignments and offering substantial comments for improvement. Yet his students\u2019 subsequent efforts on different assignments were just as disappointing. What went wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing on our summary of best practices in course design<\/a>, this situation suggests a misalignment between learning activities, assessments, and course goals. Here, students were not given the opportunity to incorporate the professor\u2019s feedback into further practice activities. Perhaps they would have applied new understandings, but they weren\u2019t given the chance to try again with the specific task. Furthermore, the sequence of assignments was an issue; the professor was assessing different skills with each assignment, instead of giving students additional opportunities to demonstrate and master the targeted skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a well-designed course, each learning goal is matched with the appropriate quality and quantity of activities and assessments. Scenarios like the one above are all too common. This begs the question: How can we better approach these processes of practice, assessment, grading, and feedback to improve student learning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Considerations from the Book<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The authors of How Learning Works<\/em> proclaim that students will miss crucial learning opportunities if the professor\u2019s practice and feedback activities do not \u201cwork smarter.\u201d It is \u201csmart\u201d to offer multiple opportunities for practice and to give feedback that is clear and specific. Students need sufficient practice in advance of assessments, wherein their knowledge and abilities are measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more opportunities students have to practice, the more chances the instructor has to observe their performance, evaluate their progress, and provide targeted feedback, which students can then incorporate to improve their subsequent performances. This mix of practice and feedback will guide students toward eventual achievement of the course learning goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cycle of Practice and Feedback<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Similarly to Fink\u2019s work on course design<\/a>, the authors suggest that all practice and feedback elements center around designated learning goals. This is explained as a cycle (pictured below) wherein \u201cpractice produces observed performance that, in turn, allows for targeted feedback, and then the feedback guides further practice. This cycle is embedded within the context of learning goals that ideally influence each aspect of the cycle\u201d (How Learning Works<\/em> pp. 126-127).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practical Implications<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The authors provide some guiding principles for directing this cycle effectively: 1) Focus students\u2019 efforts \u201con a specific goal or criterion.\u201d 2) Set standards at a \u201creasonable and productive level of challenge.\u201d 3) Provide multiple opportunities for practice, both in and out of class. The research reiterates that \u201ctime on task\u201d is essential. Both quality and quantity matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors\u2019 recommendations for \u201cstrategies that address the need for goal-directed practice\u201d include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n