Elearning Practicum: EDUC 766-Instructional Strategies and Assessment Midterm Reflection- Monica Goddard, April 11, 2014

Feedback is the Fuel of Learning! Feedback is the fuel that keeps the learning engine going. Both positive and negative constructive feedback motivates the learner to take a risk, re-evaluate, and keep learning. Providing effective feedback is a skill that requires constant development. Dick and Carey (2001) suggest that feedback can be one of the most powerful components in the learning process. They referred to feedback as the knowledge of results. Giving learners the opportunity to practice what they have learned, then providing feedback on whether a task has been accomplished or needs further refinement. Background My practicum was completed in EDUC 766- Instructional Strategies and Assessment Methods. This course is part of the online Instructional Design Certificate that is offered through UW-Stouts Continuing Education programs. The class makeup is a varied mix of professionals from Higher Ed and Business, with a few K-12 instructors sprinkled in. One area of responsibility was facilitating and providing feedback for two groups during the weekly class discussion. I didnt think I would have any difficulty in this area, since I am a seasoned 14 year classroom teacher. There is no question that I am capable of giving feedback. In fact, in a face to face environment, I, the instructor have the visuals of body language, facial expressions, and verbal input; tone and inflection from the student. Using these cues, I can judge student reactions and alter the words and presentation. These features are all absent in the online environment. As an online instructor, I now must convey feedback in an environment that is made up of tone and correct wording. Another reason that I struggled with feedback was this was not my course, so my feedback needed to reflect the tone set by my supervising instructor. There were instances that I might have given different feedback and scores. Excluding these factors, providing feedback is an area of struggle for me, which will require further reflection and improvement. Connections What are some of the ways that this experience fits within the larger picture of your internship course, the practicum course, your e-learning experience in general? Since feedback is an integral part of an online course, it will be important for me to become more proficient and confident with this skill. My supervising instructor, with her wisdom and experience is providing guidance on how to construct positive, reinforcing feedback. Her guiding principle for feedback is: The feedback should reinforce what you, the instructor want to see or have the student take away from the discussion or assignment. Therefore, the feedback should not be so punitive or harsh that it discourages future interaction from the student in discussion or completing an assignment. Throughout the courses in this certificate, I have received constructive feedback that encouraged me to continue on my learning journey. The feedback also strengthened the belief in me that I could be an effective online educator or instructional designer.

Elearning Practicum: EDUC 766-Instructional Strategies and Assessment Midterm Reflection- Monica Goddard, April 11, 2014

Generalizations Based on this experience, what advice would you give to someone about to do something similar? In an intern situation, I would suggest that a fellow intern speak with the supervising instructor and get direction from them for each assignment/discussion on the concept/skill they want to reinforce. The other suggestion is to read the discussion questions and formulate your own response. By doing this I became familiar with the question and material, it guided me on what I should be looking for in student responses. I also did my own research on feedback. One article I read was the Seven Keys to Effective Feedback. It further reinforced what my supervising instructor had been telling me about feedback. The article suggested that helpful feedback requires these essential components: goal/objective referenced, tangible and easy to understand, actionable by the learner, user friendly, timely, ongoing and consistent. (Wiggins, 2012) Applications What are some of the things that you are taking away from this experience that will influence your practice in the future? Feedback should be: goal-referenced, tangible and transparent, actionable, user friendly, timely, ongoing, and consistent. Crafting a generic sandwich response (efficiency) and then adding a specific comment or highlight from a students responses to reinforce the concept/skill (personal). Taking the pulse of the class after the third or fourth week, comments, critiques or questions in a one to one feedback to the instructor. There may be instructions/activities that an instructor thinks are clear and make sense, but to students they are unclear. Use multimedia, videos, screencasts, and animation for feedback, introducing a module or to share information in a course. Online courses are taken for any number of reasons, efficiency, fits into a busy life, program availability, but they can also be isolating. Being able to see the instructor introduce a module or viewing a screencast with audio and visual feedback on an assignment puts the human aspect back into the learning environment.

Personal Learning What are some of the things you are learning about (yourself, your students, this curriculum, this unit, this aspect of your teaching?) Im learning not to sweat the small stuff. I need to keep in mind that students are taking an online class, because it fits into a busy life. I must keep in mind that feedback should reinforce the concept/skill when grading. When grading late postings/response dumps, dont be punitive. Be mindful of wording and tone when responding to students, whether it is a question or feedback. If a student does something that is irritating, take an hour or day to respond. I hope to continue to practice and improve my feedback skills, during the rest of my internship and in a future online course. It is incumbent on me, as an instructor, to provide feedback, both positive and negative. I need to remember that feedback is the fuel that motivates learners to improve and change their behavior. It is through this process that learning will occur!
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Elearning Practicum: EDUC 766-Instructional Strategies and Assessment Midterm Reflection- Monica Goddard, April 11, 2014

References

Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2001). The Systematic Design of Instruction . (Fifth ed.). New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc. Wiggins, G. (2012, September). Seven Keys to Effective Feedback. Volume 70 | Number 1 Feedback for Learning Pages 10-16 Educational Leadership. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept12/vol70/num01/Seven-Keys-to-EffectiveFeedback.aspx Retrieved on April 2, 2014