Rethinking Formative Assessment: a model and seven principles of good

feedback practice

Dr David Nicol

Centre for Academic Practice

University of Strathclyde

Debra Macfarlane-Dick

Careers Service & Teaching and

Learning Service

University of Glasgow

Background

SENLEF project funded by LTSM

50 case studies from Scottish HEIs

Literature review: model of formative assessment and feedback and 7 principles of good feedback practice + simple strategies

Web site

http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/genericcentre/

>projects>assessment>SENLEF

Definitions (1)

Formative assessment refers to:-

‘….assessment that is specifically intended to provide feedback on performance to improve and accelerate learning’ (Sadler, 1998, p77)

Definitions (2)

Who is involved in formative assessment and feedback?

Tutor

Peer

External (e.g. placement supervisor)

Computer generated

Self

Why take formative assessment and feedback seriously?

Black and Wiliam (1998) – 250 studiesReal classroom situations – tutor, peer and self-feedbackPositive benefits on learning and achievement across all content areas/ skills and sectors.Big impact on schools but what about HE?

Current thinking about learning & assessment

Teaching/learning paradigm

Transmission Constructivist.

[student-centred]

Assessment paradigm

Transmission

[teacher-centred]

Problems with transmission view

Lifelong learning depends on self-regulation (Boud, 2000)

Feedback messages from teachers must be actively interpreted (Higgins et al, 2001)

Motivational beliefs both regulate and are regulated by external feedback (Dweck, 1999)

Teacher workload issues

How to conceptualise formative assessment & feedback?

…process that build up the students own skills and capacity to self-evaluate and self-correct. [throughout u/g degree]

Sadler’s argumentFor feedback to benefit learning students must know:

1. What good performance is (goals, criteria)2. How current performance relates to good performance (compare)3. How to act to close the gap

No 2 means that students ‘must already possess some of the same evaluative skills as the teacher’ (Sadler, 1983).

Self-regulated learning

Self-regulated learning is an active constructive process whereby learners set goals for their learning and monitor, regulate, and control their cognition, motivation, and behaviour, guided and constrained by their goals and the contextual features of the environment. (Pintrich and Zusho, p64)

Research on self-regulation

The more self-regulated the student the better the learner – confident, persistent etc (Zimmerman, 2000; Pintrich & Zusho, 2002).Students can learn to self-regulate through making learning explicit and meta-cognitive training (Boekaerts et al, 2002)Monitoring and self-assessment are key components of self-regulation (Schunk and Zimmerman, 1994).Formative assessment and self-regulation traditionally seen as separate paradigms

Student goals

Tactics & Strategies

Learning Outcomes

Self-regulatory processes(cognition, motivation and behavioural)

Teacher set task(goals/criteria)

Domain Knowledge

Strategy Knowledge

Motivational Beliefs

External Feedback(teacher/peers/employers)

PerformancePaths of internal feedback

Processes Internal to Student

A Model of self-regulation and feedback

A

B

C

D E F

G

H

Key message

Formative assessment and feedback by others can only have an impact on learning when it influences a student’s own self-regulatory processes (adapted from Boud, 1995).

The Seven Feedback Principles

How can assessment and feedback help to build a learner’s capacity to self-regulate?

Helps clarify what good performance is (goals, standards, criteria)

Difficult to use feedback to self-regulate if students don’t understand goalsResearchMismatches between tutors and students conceptions of goals/criteria (Hounsell, 1984; Norton, 1990; Channock, 2000)StrategiesExemplars of performance (Orsmond et al, 2002), students help construct criteria (Gibbs, 1999)

Facilitates development of self-assessment in learning

Key process in self-regulation is self-assessment ResearchTraining in self-assessment improves exam performance (McDonald and Boud, 2003)SA integrated with external feedback improves performance. (Taras, 2003)StrategiesPeer assessment, supporting reflection etc.

Delivers high quality information to students about their learning

External feedback should help students trouble shoot and correct their own performanceResearchShows feedback might be delayed, not relevant, overwhelming in quantity, focused on low level goals (Sadler, 1983)StrategiesOffering corrective advice in terms of criteriaReader response theory (Lunsford, 1997)

Encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning.

Students don’t understand the feedback given by tutors ( ‘essay is not sufficiently analytical’) [Channock, 2000; Hyland, 2000]ResearchIdeal feedback = two-way dialogical: teacher-student (Laurillard, 2003) not enough teachersStrategiesClassroom technologies (Nicol & Boyle, 2003)Peer processes (Gibbs, 1999)

Encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem.

Feedback has positive or negative effects depending on type, delivery etc.Research Feeback as marks versus comments (Butler, 19871988; Dweck, 2000).StrategiesMore low stakes assessments Marks only after feedback used

Provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance.

How do you ensure that students actually use the feedback information to improve.ResearchLittle opportunity to resubmit (Boud, 2000)Strategies Feedback during the task (process) Action points and resubmissions.

Provides information to teachers that can be used to shape teaching.

Being sensitive to learner needs ResearchTeacher’s don’t necessarily adapt teaching to students’ needs (Ramsden, 1997) StrategiesAngelo & Cross (1990) – one minute paperClassroom Technology (Boyle & Nicol, 2003.Student-requested feedback

Student goals

Tactics & Strategies

Learning Outcomes

Self-regulatory processes(cognition, motivation and behavioural)

Teacher set task(goals/criteria)

Domain Knowledge

Strategy Knowledge

Motivational Beliefs

External Feedback(teacher/peers/employers)

PerformancePaths of internal feedback

Processes Internal to Student

Supporting and building on student self-regulation

1. Clarify task goals

2. Encourage dialogue

3. Provide quality feedback

4. Facilitate self-assessment

5. Provides opportunities to close the gap

6. Encourage positive motivational beliefs

7. Use feedback to shape teaching

A

B

C

D E F

G

H

New revised paper:Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick (2004). Title: ‘Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice.’

To be published in: G. Gibbs (ed), Innovating in Assessment.Available soon from: d.j.nicol@strath.ac.uk

The End