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Subject Support to meet diverse student needs: Students as architects of their own learning

Deirdre Burke

Introduction

This report applies a definition of architect to students in higher education, to report on initiatives to encourage students to be effective agents for their own learning, in drawing up plans for the development of specific skills, and drawing on specialist departments within the university to assist that process. Referring to students as 'architects' is a useful analogy, although it is necessary to qualify the use of the term.

An architect applies specialist knowledge and understanding to a particular task to achieve a specified outcome. Whilst the architect is crucial to the process, the role is essentially passive, the architect draws up the plans and others are then commissioned to follow them through, often under the architect's supervision. Referring to students as architects retains the planning and monitoring aspect, but adds a crucial element of self action. The student's own development is the project under consideration and the student must be active in every stage of the project.

Like an architect a student needs to start with specifications of the required outcome. Modules set out learning outcomes to be achieved through specific assessment tasks, which should be used by students to guide their learning in a module, just as an architect would refer to types of structure for building. Once the plans have been drawn up, an architect is likely to pass the plans to a project manager to see the projected building through to completion. Likewise students having specified their outcomes need to act as project managers to identify the steps to be taken to achieve the outcomes. Techniques such as Work Breakdown Structure or the Critical Path Method could be utilized in academia to enable novices to 'manage' their learning (Burke 2003).

The context:

My home institution appears at the top of only one league table, showing our success in widening participation from low participation households within Shropshire and the West Midlands. The University is now challenged to achieve the mission statement to "enable and encourage individuals to realize their full potential and to achieve academic excellence."

Staff in Higher Education are becoming more aware of the cost of 'failure' for those students who drop out or fail to pass the first year of a degree course. Research findings show that students face social and psychological burdens as well as the financial implications of failure. The Institute of Fiscal Studies estimated that male students who failed to complete their studies earned 9% less than workers who had not been to University, which shows that some students may actually reduce their life chances. Thus, as institutions we need to take seriously our responsibility in accepting 'widening participation' students and research ways to be better able them to succeed. The project is a response to the University's success in widening participation by addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse student intake by developing a subject support policy which links to school and university support, embedding study, key and employability skills within subject delivery. This approach is proactive rather than reactive, in seeking to identify where and when support may be needed and provide it in the midst of learning, thus increasing relevance and motivation.

This report explores an initiative aimed to close the gap between the skills that many students possess on entry and the requirements of their course of study.

The innovation

Personal, Academic and Career Enhancement is a new module, offered initially to Religious Studies students as a pilot in Semester 1. 2005-6. Results from the Individual Learner Profile 2005-6 cohort for all students in the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science revealed that over a third of students were at risk (37%), and the figures for the Religious Studies students involved in this module was almost two thirds (62%). Table 1. below reveals that the Religious Studies students had a lower perception of their skills than the school average, thus it was appropriate that they were involved in the pilot.

Table 1. The School profile set against the Religious Studies pilot group

  School RS Pilot
Student at high risk: 4 sections below 60% 8% 19%
Students at medium risk: 2 or 3 sections below 60% 29% 43%
Total at risk 36% 62%

Details of the Religious Studies cohort

Religious Studies students were involved in the pilot as I had school responsibilities for Student Support and had developed the module to provide students with a formal opportunity for personal development planning. The School Quality Committee required the module to be piloted with a small number of students before it was made available to all students in the school.

My interest in this field developed from a range of experiences. Firstly, from an awareness that students did not always act on feedback advice to develop skills for study. I felt I was providing the same feedback advice to the same students time after time, and there was little evidence to show that students had acted on advice. I teach modules at all levels and have electronic copies of feedback sheets, thus, I was able to track individuals and note that students were not picking up advice on developing generic skills or specific subject related study skills. Secondly, in my role as school student support co-ordinator, I worked with students at drop-in workshop sessions responding to student queries about the learning process. Many queries concerned tutor feedback, how to interpret it and then how to act on it. These first hand contacts revealed the practical challenges facing students. It is very easy for tutors to write comments on essays, such as 'more analysis' or 'full reference required'. But sitting next to students as they attempted to act on such feedback revealed the complexity of academic discourses.

Thus, this module Personal, Academic and Career Enhancement sought to provide students with an effective start to their university course, in light of Cottrell's recommendation that, 'changes in the student body go hand in hand with the need for different kinds of teaching and with increased emphasis on skills development.'(2001, 6)

This module situated the development of skills for study within a model of personal development, which meets the Dearing Report's requirement for students to 'learn how to learn.' Students are encouraged to develop their independence as a learner through opportunities to analyse how they stand in relation to 'skills' required for study. Students then decide where to focus their efforts and learn how to set targets for their development which can be measured.

Learning Outcomes: At the completion of the module students are expected to be able to demonstrate:

  1. an understanding of what it means to be a student of higher education in terms of academic expectations and how those expectations would be met
  2. an understanding of how university procedures and practices work in relation to potential student issues
  3. an understanding of Personal Development Planning by the production of an initial personal development plan for your first semester based on an analysis of your Individual Learner Profile
  4. the ability to use feedback effectively by recording the necessary steps and re-writing a negotiated assignment.

Table 2. presents the number of students who scored less than 60% in aspects and thus were deemed to be at risk. The table reveals that the Religious Studies students identified particular problems in speaking, which was relevant for this module as students were required to do a presentation. The students also lacked confidence in numeracy but there was little need in the first year modules for students to engage with numbers, the research methods module in the second year which introduces students to numeracy skills.

Table 2. Percentage of students with less than 60% in each area

  School RS
Speaking 27 35
Reading 10 10
Writing 13 10
Time management 20 15
Numeracy 45 75
IT skills 12 2

Three elements of this module will be explored in this report to explore how far three strategic innovations enable students to become 'architects of their own learning'.

Strategy 1. Individualized learning:

The approach to skills development in this module is innovative in two ways. Firstly, students are encouraged to think about why they have to come to university, and work out what 'being a student' means to them. This positioning of skills development within a philosophical context of critical thinking, encourages students to adopt a pro-active stance and take ownership of their learning. A student noted that the essay on 'Being a student;' 'got me to think about why I came to university and how I will make the most of it.' Others wrote of the importance of thinking about goals and responsibilities, and to take an active part in education.

Secondly, completion of an Individual Learner Profile, encouraged each student to think about their own skill level in relation to the learning outcomes of the modules they were studying. This ensured that students made a link between the skills they entered with and the skills requirements of the modules they were studying. The ILP is a short diagnostic questionnaire covering aspects of the Key Skills, which encourages students to think about their strengths and areas for improvement. Slater and Peacock, 2001, when introducing the ILP to Wolverhampton, noted that 'Embedding learner support generically from the outset within the curriculum is facilitating the removal of the stigma of seeking assistance and subsequent admittance of weakness." (2001, 73).

This identification of particular individual areas for development was followed by the specification of a Learner Action Plan, to develop the skills each individual needed to develop in order to be successful. The ILP is based on the student's perception of their position, and often students are wide of the mark. Some students are not aware of the requirements of higher education and think the skills that served them well in school will suffice. Others worry that they will not be able to cope with higher education, and often such worries are unfounded. Whichever way students are wide of the mark, the ILP is a useful starting point as it raises awareness about the range of skills required for higher education and starts discussion about ways of developing skills. Each student had an individual tutorial and completed a Personal Development Planning form to identify the area they wanted to focus on for this task and selected at least two workshops to attend to develop their profile.

This approach to skills development enables each student to work from their starting position and think about how to meet their own particular needs. The linking of skills to subject learning made it possible for students to reflect on the 'process' of essay writing as they work on the 'product' (Prosser and Webb.) Traditional approaches to skills usually aim to cover all bases, which mean that for most of the time students may be covering areas they already possess confidence and competence in. In addition the need to cover all bases mean that the amount of time spent on each area is reduced and may not provide the depth and detail that an individual student would benefit from in that area.

In addition this approach offered an alternative to the debate about free-standing skills modules or embedded skills development in subject modules. Cottrell recommended that skills learning be situated in subjects, with links to 'additional support, skills modules or peer support are part of a multifaceted and integrated approach.' (2001, 43)

The benefit of free standing skills modules is often questioned, due to problems students seem to face in applying their 'skills' development within their subject learning. However, skills development within subject learning can be problematic if the staff delivering the programme do not have sufficient depth in teaching skills. Thus, this centre approach was selected as a way to retain the strengths from each, to provide expert skills delivery within subject contexts.

Lecture sessions introduced students to all the staff they could usefully encounter to support their learning, through an 'elevator pitch' overview of available support. Students followed up these areas by finding out more about the roles of subject librarians, study skills advisors, personal counsellors, careers lecturers, and student union officials. This introduction to wider university support within the module aimed to bridge the gap that usually operated between students and centralised support. Several students stated that they would find it easier to seek support now they had met staff.

This innovation acts on the awareness that if a student starts a higher education course without the necessary skills to be successful that they will struggle to find the time to make the required development to their skills set. In this module students have the time to work on their skills and the point is made that all students need to develop their skills set in order to make the most of higher education. Thus, rather than view skills development as a remedial activity to put right some deficit, this module presents skills development as a normative activity which is beneficial for all students.

Students selected workshop sessions to aid their development. The majority choose workshops from the programme offered by the Student Union on general skills and using the ePortfolio. In addition many attended the school based sessions on essay writing and time management. The Counselling Service put a special session on for the group on handling anxiety. Student feedback was generally positive, one student reported: 'The stress workshop helped a lot. After finding it hard to adjust to uni life, stress busting techniques helped. Benefited by giving me the skills and exercises to relax myself during the long bus journey, this enabled me to enter lectures feeling calmer.' Others noted the benefit of meeting other staff and students: 'Workshops were very good and helpful, and I also got to know other people as a result.'

At the end of the module students completed the ILP again, they did this without sight of their original submission so it is likely that their answers reflected their actual views at the end of the semester. Overall changes in perceptions in the ILP show that the majority of students felt more confident in relation to all areas. There was an overall average increase for students to 118 points, and perceptions of confidence increased in three aspects, stayed the same in two and decreased in one. Student comments showed a better understanding of the demands of higher education and a more realistic assessment of their ability to complete tasks.

Table 3. Overview of ILP averages: start and end of semester.

  Start of semester End of semester Change
Speaking 16 15 -1
Reading 17 17 0
Writing 17 17 0
Time management 16 17 1
Numeracy 16 18 2
IT skills 33 34 1
Totals 115 118 3

Overall the number of students at risk was reduced to between 5 - 10%. One remained at high risk as four areas were under 60%, and one remained at medium risk with three areas at less than 60%. Analysis of individual student changes from the start to the end of the semester revealed a number of variables. Generally the trend was for students to show increased confidence, particularly in the areas that they sought to develop in the module. However, some students seem to have revised their views in light of actual study experiences. There were some individual blips, some caused by students discovering that standards at university were higher than they expected. We can examine the results by considering individual student views on their experiences.

Three main positions were identified by students in relation to the development of their individual learner profile. Firstly, students who found the exercise useful as it helped the identification of 'strengths and areas for development,' especially when a weakness was identified as something that 'affects every aspect of my life as a student.' Secondly, students who completed the exercises but were neutral on the benefit of such activities. Despite the link between their studies in Religious Studies and skills development, these students were unlikely to apply study strategies to their RS assignments. Finally, the third category were students who found the focus on their skills very threatening. Most of the students were mature and did not want to think about any areas of weakness they brought to their course. Rather than use this module as an opportunity for development, these students wanted to get on with their academic subject study and not 'waste time on skills.'

Individual case studies

Position 1

Student 1. is a mature student with family commitments who has to travel a distance to university. Her results on all her modules were good, with an average of B, yet overall her ILP shows a reduction of confidence. She is more confident only in the area of time management. She is less confident speaking, reading and writing, despite receiving positive feedback on modules on her reading and writing skills. Follow up discussion with this student revealed that her view of speaking was influenced by her initial expectations that her degree course would be easier than it turned out to be. She felt that her lower perceptions were due to stress and exhaustion at the end of the semester. She feared that the study load together with family commitments, health worries and travel would make study in the future more difficult. Thus, whilst she recognised that her basic skills were sound, she worried that she would not be able to cope.

1. Speaking 2. Reading 3. Writing 4. Time management 5. Numeracy 6. IT skills Total increase
-3 -1 -1 3- 0 0 -3

Student 2. showed the largest overall increase and was also the student who demonstrated the strongest commitment to developing her skills in the module. This student took up all opportunities to develop skills, attending more than the required number of workshops and making good use of book and electronic sources for development.

1. Speaking 2. Reading 3. Writing 4. Time management 5. Numeracy 6. IT skills Total increase
5 6 4 0 7 5 27

Position 2

Student 3. is a residential student living away from home, who despite showing an overall increase still remained at high risk. There was an increase in four areas and a significant loss of confidence in the area of writing. Follow up discussion revelled that loss of confidence in writing was linked to negative feedback on essays and the experience of failure. It was also clear that the student did not start with a realistic view of the workload in higher education and the range of skills required to complete tasks.

1. Speaking 2. Reading 3. Writing 4. Time management 5. Numeracy 6. IT skills Total increase
0 1 -4 1 3 2 3

Position 3

Student 4. was a mature student who was following up life long interest in Religion and History by taking a joint degree. This student wanted to focus on subject study and did not recognise the need to develop skills. Completing the ILP was considered to be an unnecessary chore, which took time away from subject study. This student felt that skills would emerge through subject study and did not see the point of paying specific attention to study skills. Whilst this student showed an increase in confidence in IT skills it was noted that the requirement to use the e-Portfolio had a negative impact on motivation for study. The requirement to develop new skills was regarded as very threatening and made the student 'feel stupid.'

1. Speaking 2. Reading 3. Writing 4. Time management 5. Numeracy 6. IT skills Total increase
1 -1 -1 1 1 1 0

Strategy 2. Learning how to act on feedback

A specific area in which students are able to take more control over their learning is acting on feedback., a learning resource that Orrell, 2006, noted often has only a marginal status. The background to this innovation is located in our attempts at Wolverhampton to meet the requirement in Section 6 of the QAA Code of practice on Assessment of students, 2000, to 'ensure that appropriate feedback is provided…in a way that promotes learning and facilitates improvement.' (QAA, 2000) Written feedback has been identified by many sources as one of the main ingredients in effective student learning, Cottrell, 2003, for example, stated that feedback is the 'passport to better marks', with comments providing more information than grades. However, researchers have identified feedback as the one aspect of the assessment process that is often overlooked or ignored. Chanock, 2000, found that students tend to look at the grade and ignore tutor comments, particularly if they seem negative.

Failure to engage with feedback is not a recent phenomena, Brannon and Knoblauch noted in 1981 that there is 'scarcely a shred of empirical evidence to show that students typically even comprehend our responses to their writing, let alone use them purposefully to modify their practice.' (1981, 1) A cross university workshop on feedback developed the Using Feedback Effectively form to guide and support students in their interaction with tutor feedback. This form guides students through a systematic process to enable them to make the most of the feedback provided by staff. Tutors often feel that they spend a lot of time marking scripts and there is little evidence that students take any notice of the feedback. The reason for this be found in the fact that student do not know 'how' to act on feedback. One student introduced this section with the words 'So... now I have the feedback... what am I to do with it?' Weaver, 2006, found that 50% of students surveyed have never been given any guidance on how to act on feedback, and in our survey of new students at induction it was found that over 60% had never been given guidance.

Table 4. Have students received guidance on how to understand and use feedback?

  Business Design Average
Yes, prior to Unviersity 24% 29% 26%
Yes, at first level of University 12% 17% 14%
Yes, in a book on study skills 8% 0 4%
Yes, other 0 12% 6%
No 56% 42% 50%

(Weaver, 2006, 385)

The Using Feedback Effectively form was intended to be of use to all students for their personal development planning, and has been specifically used by students in the PACE module to support the process of acting on feedback. The stages within the form link to Maclellan's research which found that 'most students did not view feedback on their learning as either routinely helpful in itself as a catalyst for discussion.' (Maclellan, 2001, 316)

Table 5. Modal values

Item Students Staff
36. Feedback is helpful in detail sometimes (73%) frequently (43%)
37. Feedback prompts discussion with tutor never (50%) frequently (63%)
38. Feedback helps to understand assessment sometimes (62%) frequently (50%)
39. Feedback improves learning sometimes (72%) frequently (49%)

For the purposes of this assignment students were to work on the feedback they had received on one of their essays. The Using Feedback Effectively form was supplemented by a range of exercises which encouraged reflection on the process of essay writing from start to finish. These stages encourage students to look at the detail of feedback, to prepare for a tutorial, and to act on the feedback to develop learning in a specific area.

Stage 1. Positives and Negatives

Students were to break comments into positive and negative points. Often feedback focuses on negative comments and students do not recognize the things they are doing right, and it is just as important to recognize these so they can continue to do them. Such a systematic overview enables the student to take a balanced account of their achievements, in order to counter Race's observation that students 'often are quite blind to valuable feedback' (in Brown & Glasner, 1997, 64) Students generally found the process useful in helping them to get an overview of their achievements, to overcome the tendency to focus on negatives: "I feel it is important to be aware that you are good at certain things. I use to have a tendency to look at the negative points made and therefore have a negative view of my abilities. I now realize the criticism I receive is for me to use to my advantage."

Stage 2. Preparation for a tutorial

This section helps the student prepare for a tutorial by encouraging the listing of questions for a tutorial. Lillis & Turner, 2001, found that feedback could raise more questions for students than it answered. Students needed to understand what tutors meant by key terms such as arguments, structure, or explicitness. In addition students need to become code breakers to crack what Sommers termed a tutor 'uniform code' in vague feedback "commands, requests, and pleadings' (1982, 153) Maclellan's findings showed the greatest discrepancy in the area of feedback prompting discussion, with tutors responding that feedback frequently prompts discussion, but who they had discussion with is questionable as 50% of students found feedback never prompted discussion!

This process also assists students overcome the psychological barrier of facing criticism. In many cases students often find it easier to put feedback sheets, which are regarded as negative, out of sight and out of mind. If having an essay tutorial is a matter of choice it can be easy for students to opt out of facing up to perceived failings by not having a tutorial. However, when a tutorial is required students have to face up to the feedback, and through this process should gain a balanced overview of their achievements, which can direct future learning.

The questions for the tutorial can confirm that the student's interpretation of feedback comments are correct, and also provide an opportunity to ask about comments that they do not understand. This process addresses Race's observation that 'students may not have the opportunity to make sense of the feedback they receive.' (Race in Brown & Glasner, 1997,64)

The requirement for students to develop questions prior to a tutorial facilitates this process, and helps students engage in dialogue with their tutor. The actual process of asking questions about what was meant by a comment could be regarded as challenging the expert judgement of their tutor (Higgins et al.) But for any learning to take place students need to understand the comment and think about how to act on it. Thus, thinking about the question in advance and writing out the words to be used may help students do this in a manner that staff do not find challenging, and enable students to take this important step in finding out what the tutor meant.

This process is important for all students, including high achievers. One student who received a high grade for her essay expressed frustration: "Can you tell me what exactly is right and what I should do next time and if the essay was so good why didn't I get a higher grade? There must have been something that needs improvement."

This asking of questions enables the student to enter into dialogue with the tutor, and empowers the student to take control of the revision process. This opportunity to discuss how far they were successful in communicating their intentions is a vital step. Brannon & Knoblauch noted "Writers know what they intended to communicate. Readers know what a text has actually said to them.' (1982, 162) Thus, the tutor can fulfil the role of a 'sounding board' enabling the student to see where their communication was successful and where it needs revision. This step empowers the student as: "By negotiating those changes rather than dictating them, the teacher returns control of the writing to the student." (Sommers, 1982, 149)

The opportunity to discuss their assignment with a tutor enables a student to engage in academic discourse which is necessarily complex when exploring ideas and arguments. Butler and Winne identified five functions of feedback which are only likely to be achieved in a discursive situation; when the tutor can discuss how far the student has an appropriate understanding of key concepts, to suggest sections which required more information, to discuss with the student how elements of prior knowledge influence their interpretations, to help 'refine' understandings so that the student can discriminate between key concepts, and finally to challenge false theories that the student might hold which are incompatible with the range of ideas that students need to be able to take on board.

Students noted that this process enables students to explore feedback which seemed to be contradictory, one student noted a comment on the script 'set out your views in an objective manner' whilst the feedback sheet noted 'You are developing a strong personal voice.' On the surface these comments seem to conflict and would be likely to confuse the recipient. Clarity is only likely to be achieved through a tutorial, and a question from the student, which would allow the tutor to enter into dialogue and explain the meaning of each comment. Student also drew attention to the fact that the process allows for 'legitimate questioning of feedback by students.'

Stage 3. Learner Action Plan

Requiring students to develop a Learner Action Plan recognizes that the developments in light of feedback will not happen unless there is specific and directed action. A student user of the form noted: 'I realise that in order to develop my study skills I have to make an effort. I need to research these topics in the same way I do other aspects of my work.'

This opportunity to break feedback down into major and minor points is important, as they may be mixed up in tutor feedback, as illustrated by Sommers: 'Check your commas and semi-colons and think more about what you are thinking about.' (1982, 151) Only by working out major and minor concerns will students be in a position to work out how long they should spend on follow up tasks. In this module students were required to have a 30 minute tutorial to discuss how to act on the feedback with their tutor. Stephani noted that staff assume that students know how to complete the tasks they are set, and staff 'rarely guide students through or model the process of structuring an essay.' (1998, 348).

The difficultly of acting on advice was identified by students. It is very easy for tutors to make bland comments which do not recognise the level of the challenge facing the student. There was widespread recognition that staff need to prepare students for assessments with slots on study skills within modules. In addition providing exemplars, not just of model essays but actual essays with usual feedback, was beneficial in enabling students to see what they have to do. The Using Feedback Effectively form contains information about Study Skills resources (people, book and electronic) which students could use in their action plan. In addition the Study Skills Feedback and Recommended Readings form provides a range of web resources which specify the nature of the grammar requirement, for example for the use of an apostrophe, and provide examples for the student to check their understanding.

Getting more out of feedback can enhance the development of all students. Each assessment opportunity can become an opportunity for growth if students develop their own capacity to interpret and act on tutor feedback. The following comment reveals a student's changed attitude to feedback: 'Next time I complete an assignment, I am certain I will be more conscientious not to make the same mistakes but more importantly, remember my strengths too.'

Stage 4. Acting on feedback to re-submit an assignment

Falchikov noted that 'students often do not read their teachers' feedback, and when they do so, often misunderstand it. Even when the feedback comments are read and understood, they are rarely acted upon' (1995, 159). The aim of this stage was to promote direct use of feedback so that students reflect on their work and address the feedback comments. This aspect followed the guidance from Ivanic et al on the timeliness of feedback and the opportunity for students to respond to comments: 'if necessary change the way you run the course so as to be able to give more and better feedback at times when the students can use it.' (2000, 63)

Taras has argued for undergraduates being afforded the opportunities of acting on advice on drafts, practices which are a feature of staff writing experiences. This would give students support when they need, it would initiate them into academic practice, and encourage students to use feedback: 'allowing updating and resubmission of weak or failed work would permit direct use of the feedback and would support learning.' (2006, 375)

For this task students were able to select an assignment from either of their subjects for the re-submission exercise. This was an attempt to make this exercise relevant and link the skills development to their subject learning. The majority of students took the opportunity to work on a Religious Studies assignment, in some cases this was an essay that they had failed and would need to re-submit at a later stage.

Students used the Using Feedback Effectively form and completed reflective exercises to record their thoughts at various stages of the writing process. Students had individual tutorials with the module leader as well as with the tutors who provided the feedback on the essay they were going to re-do. Students were assessed on their reflection on their learning, the development of their action plan, and how far the final essay had addressed the points raised in feedback.

Two main problems were encountered. Firstly, the actual feedback that students had to work with tended to be too brief or too vague to act on. Secondly, many students lacked the motivation to work on the feedback, they felt they had completed that task and wanted to move on to the next challenge, and not re-visit earlier work.

Student comments in response to the question 'Does acting on feedback by re-writing an essay help your learning?' showed general agreement with the exercise although their comments stressed that felt they already had too much work and would only undertake such a task if it was worth their while in terms of grades or credits.

Table 6. 'Does acting on feedback by re-writing an essay help your learning?

Strongly agree - 1 2 3 4 Strongly disagree - 5
12.5% 25% 18.75% 25% 6.25%

Those who strongly agreed felt the task helped to 'show me whether I have learnt from my mistakes,' and 'to know what to improve.' Those in-between recognised the value of working on drafts of an essay and receiving feedback that they could act on: 'if I do a draft and get feedback on it, I can do better in the final essay.'

Those who strongly disagreed with the benefits of the task, felt that their work could improve if they received generic advice as they did not see the benefit of spending time going over the same ground.

Students in the pilot study found the feedback exercise helped them to engage with tutor feedback and to use feedback to develop their learning: 'I realise that in order to develop my study skills I have to make an effort. I need to research these topics in the same way I do other aspects of my work.'

Lessons learnt form the pilot

1.The first lesson is that many students benefited from this explicit opportunity to assess their starting points and develop skills for successful study. One student reported: 'This exercise was interesting and helpful to complete, since I misunderstood some feedback I received and if I did not complete this exercise, I would have continued doing what I was, which would have had negative impact on my work.'

All the students who completed the module passed. However, two students started the module late, one of whom completed it successfully in the following semester, and one who has yet to complete all tasks. This pass rate was much higher than their results in the core Religious Studies module in the same semester, and the majority of students continued to progress in the second semester and Level 2.

2. Learning by doing: the benefits of acting on feedback to resubmit an assignment. Taras provided strong arguments for students having the opportunity to re-submit assignments. She pointed out that this enables students to use tutor feedback and provides an opportunity for students to check 'if they have internalized and completely taken the feedback on board." (2001, 609)

The approach is based on the Aristotelian notion of developing good habits through action. By using the form students will learn how to get more out of feedback, and may draw on aspects of the process to assist their future development. This addresses MacLellan's recommendation that students need to be actively involved for learning to take place: 'The implication of this is that if students are not actually monitoring and regulating the quality of their own learning, feedback of itself, regardless of its degree of detail, will not cause improvement in learning' (2001, 316).

Getting more out of feedback can enhance the development of all students, helping students to reflect systematically on tasks (Prosser & Webb, 1994). Each assessment opportunity can become an opportunity for growth if students develop their own capacity to interpret and act on tutor feedback. The following comment reveals a student's changed attitude to feedback: 'Next time I complete an assignment, I am certain I will be more conscientious not to make the same mistakes but more importantly, remember my strengths too.'

Developing independent learners: The vast majority of students involved in this module agreed that 'feedback contributed to their personal development by identifying areas to work on.'

Table 7. Has Feedback contributed to your personal development?

Strongly agree - 1 2 3 4 Strongly disagree - 5
53% 29% 6% 6% 6%

MacLellan advised that formative learning only takes place if students are involved in process: 'The implication of this is that if students are not actually monitoring and regulating the quality of their own learning, feedback of itself, regardless of its degree of detail, will not cause improvement in learning.' (2001, 316)

In this approach students were involved in making decisions for their own development. They selected the area form their individual learner profile to work on, and chose the essay to re-submit.

3. Finally, it is necessary to widen the classification of skills required by students in higher education. The expectation at the start of the module was that students would choose to work on one of the six 'key skills' identified by the QCA. However, student feedback showed that this list might need to be expanded, or for the remit of skills to be re-specified. Oral communication skills are usually understood in the form of presentation skills, however, students drew attention to the challenge of speaking to staff and even to older students: 'Communication with people older than me. I have always been around people my own age.'

The strategies within this module helped these students develop a sound foundation for their Higher Education study through specific learning activities. They were also inculcated into a pro-active approach to learning, drawing on the full range of University resources to develop their own skills set to meet their own study needs.

References:

Please feel free to download the Using Feedback Effectively form.

This page was originally on the website of The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. It was transfered here following the closure of the Subject Centre at the end of 2011.

 

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The British Association for the Study of Religions
The Religious Studies Project