[ElizabethECharl]

Ali

I had a look at your blog and these are my first thought on it I have added my comments under the following headings:

If the design / approach or mix of approaches is appropriate for the given context

I would agree that the approach is appropriate for the given context of enabling peer support amongst small groups who are reticent to comment/articulate their reasons to the group although they obviously understanding the grading criteria.  Using the REAP criteria as a scaffold for the proposed design is solid way forward and I can see why you have adopted this approach.

Aspects of the design you think work particularly well

The setting of ground rules, (safe environments) and demonstrating how you would do it, so they can all see the process in action, is a good design point.  That coupled with the explanation of the process and what is expected of them, having seen you doing it (modelling master – apprentice) reinforces and clarifies what is required, why, and how it feeds through to the next step.

It may be tricky but the idea of integrating self-review by getting the learner to reflect and apply the criteria to their work and submit a summary so that you can see that they have done this is a seamless integration of good practice.  The fact that some already submit drafts of their work to you should mean that this is less of major issue. You could use that to promote why this additional step will feed forward and put that in place first (monitoring how it goes) before attempting to get them to start commenting on each other’s work. That being said it will not seem so large an ask if they are already critiquing their own work.  Again it will require explanation and how this will help them as they progress on the course.

At least one suggestion for improving the design

You indicate that signpost for quality might be an issue  as these will be oral presentation – perhaps they can be recorded and you provide feedback in a similar format (?) as well as using wiki or discussion boards.

Perhaps you could as the course progresses get the students to go back to these and add links to resources or other support materials that they have come across that helped them with a similar issue and or might help somebody who was having similar difficulties to improve the quality of their work?

Resources they might refer to in order to improve or extend the design.

http://lebioscience.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/audio-feedback-evidence-is-mounting.html

http://scienceoftheinvisible.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/engaging-by-talking-agile-and-effective.html

[ElizabethECharl]

Megan – I think with regard to the online discussion it may be all of the factors you have raised but nor necessarily at once! What works for me is that I know I can return to the discussion several times if need be and pick up on others ideas as well as reflecting more on other’s response to my ideas.

[ElizabethECharl]

Sandra and Sancha,

With regard to the power dynamics between learners-tutors, this can still be the case in f2f situation and there can be the fear that this will be carried into the online environment. However clear guidelines as to marking and marking criterias and when this is being applied should reduce that concern that mature students who have had a bad experience the first time round in the education system and current newbies tend to bring with them both in f2f and digital learning environment. Being explicit about failure (wrong) being part of the learning process removes the sting and releases the learner from that particular concern.  with  The suggested peer discussion by Grainne around a “controlled” exercise/activity is a good way early on to engage all participants so that a positive common experience is engendered and can be built on as the course progresses.

[ElizabethECharl]

Sandra,

I agree that giving clear information in advance as to expectations and what will and will not be required is very helpful for the learner and I also class under that umbrella being prepared to undertake the requirements of an online delivery environment – so guidelines as to what level of participation is expected, etc., as picked up by Grainne.    I think the requirements to remain engaged as well as balancing other events that may be on-going in one’s life has been addressed by both course convenors and other learners on the course where they specifically state that due to x or y pressure they are going to focus on only one activity.  Motivation is always very tricky which is why in retrospect I understand just how important Week 1 of what is your big question was and how on occasions we have been reminded to go back to this and let it be your guide when you are feeling snowed under, to enable a refocusing on activities to be undertaken that will lead to the big question possibly being answered.  As a learner in this environment I initially worried about being the first to put my thought out there, but I now see it as the beginning of/starting a conversation which as others contribute, tease out my understanding of the ideas and provide useful insights into how others have addressed issues and different viewpoints.

[ElizabethECharl]

Hi Jillian

It is good to know that this approach has been used successfully.

[ElizabethECharl]

Sandie – very insightful. I might suggest this method of delivering feedback to our Performing Arts lecturers and see what the take-up is by them and the learners’ response to this.

[ElizabethECharl]

I am taken with the issue about using blogs and where the feedback is given – it is a real concern.  This approach will suit some subjects much more easily than others, it is more a case of experimenting and being very clear about the criteria required.  I am aware of a film course where students who put their first attempt at film on YouTube were castigated by the public.  Thereafter the VLE was used as a more secure environment for students to show what they had learnt.

[ElizabethECharl]

Thanks Peter for the audio feedback suggestion and Sue for sharing your experience of it.  It is good to have options.

[ElizabethECharl]

Thanks Phil.

[ElizabethECharl]

Hi Linda,

Feedback was delivered in written form and you were actively encouraged to discuss this f2f if you wanted, which I did.  There were a couple of instances when peer-review/feedback was given,  having first been given clear guidelines of how this should be done.  The feedback then was given verbally and then written up as an accuarate record for future use.

 

[ElizabethECharl]

Ted and Hayley –  I too had the same problem – will raise it in the help forum to see if this can be resolved.

[ElizabethECharl]

We use Moodle and will be upgrading to the most recent version in June.  It  is good that it has a variety of tools that works even though they may seem a tad basic. Also not asking the learners to sign-up to other technologies removes added stress and confusion as to where to go – can be just as confusing for young adults as it is for mature students.  We are planning to expand/move to an advanced level what can be done with Moodle by using a plugin from our media cloud supplier to further enrich with audio and visual, etc, with the flexibility to make resources  or uploads of a sensitive nature password controlled and others open to all. I look forward to seeing what the take-up rate by academics will be as a result.  There will also be the possibility for learners to upload audio and visual materials to the VLE.  We have recently signed up to Mahara so I think my learning curve in the next month or so will be steep – in trying to map and to identify what other types of services the Library could be supporting/providing in the VLE.

Jo – good point re the confidentiality issue that is so is important in providng a safe and secure environment for learners to be honest in the learning process and how they apply it to their real world experience in work, etc.

[ElizabethECharl]

Ali,

Is it not wonderful when assessment and feedback is treated with equal parity and work so well?!

I had a similar experience when I studied for my City & Guilds Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning sector.  In our group everybody took advantage of the summative assignments and the opportunity to get detailed feedback from the tutor.  In our summative assignment there was also a formalised reflection section which if one wanted could be completed like a paper exercise with very little effort. I found this one of the most helpful part of the course to convey my confusion, breakthroughs, struggles, etc. on a personal level and this was then used as basis for individual session with the tutor to advise, explain, encourage, coach and mentor.

I note your last point as to why some students would not want to engage in this feedback and I agree but I also think that because it is a choice that they are happy to remain content,  or coasting as I like to call it where no additional effort is made or deemed to be required. Learners should be strongly encouraged to make use of this safe environment, as appose to when it is formative assessment.

[ElizabethECharl]

James and Phil – We have recently signed up to Mahara – so I shall look forward to discovering how well students and staff use it.

[ElizabethECharl]

Ali

I totally agree about having a light touch consistency in style in VLE so that students can navigate around it.  We have recently moved to Moodle and although our IT people tried to put this in place so as to give a consistent scaffold for our learners, lecturers have found it very difficult to accommodate it.  It is especially important for students with dyslexia to have this and it benefits all other learners too and you are correct that this also underscores the consistency in student experience.

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