Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
ERES 800
Katelyn R. Griffin
Introduction
responses of children when they are completing an expected task. Often, I can bluntly
ask them and they will tell me without hesitation. Other times, I do not know what they
are thinking. One of my teaching practices consists of giving online quizzes in math
class. With some programs, you are able to choose whether or not you want the
students to see if they have correctly answered the question. I would like to know the
assessments with instant feedback. An example would be the use of the web-based
program Socrative or the use of Google’s feature “quizzes” built into Google forms. On
either of these programs you can choose to ask multiple choice, true and false or short
answer responses with the setting option of immediate response after submission.
Students can also find online web-based practice math questions, which will do the
same.
immediately know if their answer is correct or incorrect, does it impact their choices for
future questions? Will it create higher anxiety or will it perhaps motivate them to seek
further assistance in this content area? These are just some of the questions I hope to
find the answers to by surveying, interviewing and observing grade 8 math students
Research Question
How are grade 8 math students’ emotions affected when receiving immediate feedback
This question is significant in research today for teaching practices and student
academic performance. Teachers who use self-graded assessments can learn the
potential impacts on student emotions and may better implement the assessments or
perhaps decide not to use them. Providing a positive classroom experience, where
students we must consider “[i]f students fear failure, we need to maximize the conditions
for success[,] [i]f they feel inadequate because of lack of knowledge or lack of positive
experiences, our intervention should emphasize positive experiences and fill in the
knowledge gaps” (Martinez & Martinez, 2003, p.29). By knowing whether students have
positive or negative emotions when receiving an online quiz, we can adapt our teaching
practice for positive classroom experience. Students may also benefit from knowing
how other peers felt during these assessments and learn how to manage emotions that
may arise. Students may have a voice in deciding the frequency of which these
Google Forms Quizzes rolled out a new feature in July 2016 allowing the settings
of automatically grading the quiz immediately or later, which means the company itself,
would have an interest in knowing how their settings and features impact students.
Running Head: EMOTIONAL RESPONSES AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK 4
Other researchers will find it advantageous to know the findings of this research
question.
Literature Review
As I began to look for literature on past studies I delved into specific articles
written about student response systems (SRS, ie. clickers), technology and web-based
programs in the classroom, feedback in math, as well as test anxiety in students. The
technologies-calculators and computers are essential tools for teaching, learning, and
doing mathematics” (p. 24), but how teachers use these technologies may elicit different
Research has been done on test anxiety and its effects on academic
performance. One study had some students write an online exam, others write a paper
exam and a third group of students write an online exam at a time of their choosing,
Students who were low in classroom anxiety had an increase in test anxiety
when taking an online exam. However, students high in classroom test anxiety
did not have a decrease when taking online quizzes, but rather remained high in
test anxiety across all quiz conditions (Stowell, Allan & Teoro, 2012, p.102)
Due to factors such as students not having online access at home and lack of
independent work ethic, teachers are sometimes unable to have students complete
online quizzes at a time of their choosing. However, with technology provided by the
Running Head: EMOTIONAL RESPONSES AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK 5
school, they would have the ability to offer them during set class times. Another study
claimed, “providing item feedback significantly increased the state of anxiety of high
math achievers” (Wise & Wise, 1987, p.19). Due to the time this study was reported,
the authors also claim the lack of research done on computer anxiety. When
researching test anxiety and immediate feedback “students reported that they lost
confidence when they answered incorrectly” (DiBattista & Gosse, 2006, p.323).
DiBattista & Gosse (2006) also claimed that even though immediate feedback was new
to most students and predicted to increase student anxiety, it actually reduced anxiety
when students answered correctly (p.323). The authors also stated that another
possibility for reducing anxiety was because students perceived it as being more of a
game than an exam (p.323). As students continuously use web-based programs and
various technologies in the classroom I wonder if taking online tests would still be
Kaciupski discusses various apps in a one-to-one setting. When discussing the Socrative
[S]tudents wanted Socrative to respond with a check mark which tells them they
answered correctly. As a result, they started talking to each other. They were
eager to check their responses with their classmates before submitting their
answers. They actually asked for help and tried to figure out the mistake if their
answer did not match their desk partner’s answer. Students worked until they get
the answer. This allows the teacher to concentrate on students who need further
students still be eager to check their answers if they were not allowed to discuss their
answers with their desk partner? Was it the automatic grading feature which motivated
them to strive to achieve the correct answer? Emotionally, how did the students feel
classroom:
[T]he students, who were involved in the reported research, think that
thinking…[it] stimulates the cooperative work and the students enjoy the
discussion and learn to argue their answers and opinions. (Mendez & Slisko,
2013, p.23).
Although this particular study surveyed the students and asked for their opinions, we
still are only aware of the feelings towards seven survey questions and four open-ended
questions. One particular question, about the experience of using Socrative, concluded
that 45% of the students studied enjoyed working in groups (p.23). In addition, the
students in this study were in an older age group of students than what I would like to
study. Muis, Ranellucci, Trevors & Duffy (2015) claimed that kindergarten students
“especially enjoyed receiving positive feedback when their answers were correct…did
not like the negative feedback they received when their answers were incorrect” (pg.6-
7). Again, this is a different age group of students than what I would like to study.
Running Head: EMOTIONAL RESPONSES AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK 7
It appears that the students learn from their mistakes since they get instant
feedback on what the correct answers are. So simply taking the clickers
Although the major focus of this study was to see if clickers improved academic
achievement, the authors came to the conclusion that instant feedback might help
students learn from their mistakes. I hope to go further with this finding and discover if
students who made the mistakes were discouraged or motivated to learn more.
Another web application, iTest, was critically analyzed and students “really like[d]
getting their grades and revision automatically” (Joglar, Martín, Colmenar, Martínez &
Hidalgo, 2010, p.163). One advantage to self-graded quizzes, that one study found,
was “while students can easily skip exercises from the textbook, they do not have the
same opportunity with SRS [student response system] quizzes” (Nielsen, Hansen &
Stav, 2013, p.9). Although there is a fair amount of evidence that instant, automated
feedback can have positive influences, could it perhaps cause more anxiety with some
students? Do some students feel more pressure completing an assignment that has
instant feedback, or perhaps are they more comfortable taking risks with paper to pencil
questions? Again, more questions arise about the emotional toll instant feedback has on
students.
academic performance Bower (2005) claimed “teachers will need to shift their emphasis
Running Head: EMOTIONAL RESPONSES AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK 8
from providing students with a fixed form of feedback to guiding students towards the
form of feedback that is best for their personal growth” (p. 126). Sometimes teachers
do not have the luxury of using programs that allow students to choose their method of
feedback. To continue with this study, Bower (2005) had the opportunity to allocate
“performance ranking compared to their peers” (p.131). Another feedback group was
individualistic, where their “test score ranking, average score, and best score were
presented in relation to their own past performance” (Bower, 2005, p.131). Lastly, the
neutral group was “not exposed to any comparative feedback although students still
received their test score and the time taken to complete the quiz” (Bower, 2005, p.131).
In his findings, Bower claims that there was a negative impact, upon self-examination of
students’ math abilities, on students who got the results of their online quiz through a
method that was not preferred (p.138). Another claim was “using an online medium to
provide students with a repeated practice facility led to a significant improvement in quiz
scores” (Bower, 2005, p.143). I would like to extend this research in a different setting
where students do not have the opportunity of choosing their preferred method of
feedback, rather I would like so see the emotional impact instantaneous feedback has
Most of the studies I have reviewed for this proposal claimed that students were
engaged and felt positively towards the programs, through surveys and academic
achievement. Because the Google Forms self-grading quiz feature is relatively new,
teachers have yet to deepen their understanding of what setting is better to use in
about the emotional responses of Grade 8 math students when they are provided with
Methodology
The methodology used in this qualitative research design will be a case study
which the researcher develops an in-depth analysis of a case, often a program, event,
activity, process or one or more individuals” (Creswell, 2014, p.14). The phenomenon
which either instantly grades students’ answers or gives them a final grade after
completion. Many teachers use this as common practice; however, we cannot assume
assessed. I am choosing a case study for this proposal as it fits well into a natural,
school setting with a fixed duration of time. I want to be able to collect data through
implementing and having students complete online quizzes. McMillan & Schumacher
case, over time in depth, employing multiple sources of data found in the setting” (p.
24). As students live the experience of receiving instant feedback, I want to be able to
observe, survey, and interview the students over a semester of study in math, taught by
I plan to invite students from three grade 8 classes to participate in this study. I
will first contact principals in the Red Deer Catholic School Division, for convenience
sampling, who employ teachers who teach multiple grade 8 classes, inviting their
classes to participate. Through a detailed presentation of the study I will only need one
volunteer who teaches multiple classes. Once the teacher is chosen, if multiple
teachers agree I will randomly select one, and I will send out an information letter with
guardian permission attached, since students will be observed and some interviewed.
Participants of the study will be students who have permission from their current
guardians. As I will be a visitor in the classroom, I will take the necessary steps to be a
visitor on campus, such as providing a current criminal record check. Any ethical
teachers released in the findings. To build trust with the students, I will observe and
attend classes before the allotted research time to familiarize myself with the students
Methods
At the beginning of the research I will distribute an online survey. This survey will
be used to determine the participant's’ initial thoughts about instant feedback, their
questionnaire will use a Likert scale and adaptations will be provided if necessary (ie. a
student who usually gets a reader for a test will be provided one to help them complete
the survey). This survey will help determine which students to interview, provide me
Running Head: EMOTIONAL RESPONSES AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK 11
with the beginning stages of my interview questions, and allow me to collect quantitative
data about online assessments and instant feedback. Using purposeful sampling and
the data collected from the initial survey, I can categorize the students who are
stressed, and average. Using these categories, and perhaps others that arise, I can
Throughout one semester, the teacher will complete four major units of
instruction where, during each unit, two google forms will be distributed. One will
include the setting of releasing the grade immediately after submission and the other
will incorporate the feature of releasing the grade later, after manual review.
informal conversations will enhance data that students may potentially leave out in a
formal interview. Following the assessment/observation day will be interviews using the
interview guide approach where “topics are selected in advance, but the researcher
decides the sequence and the wording of the questions during the interview” (McMillan
& Schumacher, 2010, p. 355). I will then conclude each unit with a survey questioning
which setting students preferred and why. Having two surveys will increase validity and
reliability of the results. I will voice-record the student interviews and keep a field
journal where I will log dates, observations and casual conversations with the students.
Data Analysis
Throughout the survey, observations and interviews I will organize my data into
confidence, perseverance, stress- level and others that may arise during the study.
Throughout the data collection process I will be looking for emerging patterns and
central themes across methods. Because I will have numerous data, including survey
results, field logs of observations & voice recordings of interviews, I can use
triangulation across these sources. As I will be exploring how students’ emotions are
techniques as they arise in the study. After collecting and synthesizing the data, I will
Conclusion
completing Google Quizzes with various settings. One setting will be to release grades
immediately and the other setting allows teachers to release grades later on, after
knowing how these settings affect students will help continue to create a positive
atmosphere in class. This research will not only be important for companies, other
researchers, and teachers but also for students themselves. Students may have a
better understanding of their emotions while taking a self-graded test and may learn to
control them, continuing to concentrate on the task at hand. Using convenience and
purposeful sampling, surveys, observations and interviews will allow me to collect data
that is reliable and valid. As a teacher, wanting to improve my teaching practices, I hope
for my students.
Running Head: EMOTIONAL RESPONSES AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK 13
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