1. Impact of viewing personalised feedback on final assignment marks

2. Providing feedback in our unit of study
Types of feedback provided
Quizzes – Mark and explanation of correct answers on submission
Tutorials – Summary group feedback and model answers. Students can post to discussion board for individual feedback
Assessment tasks – Assignment 1 and 2
Average ratings for our unit are 4.3/5 but 3.9/5 for the question: “I have been guided by helpful feedback on my learning”

3. Issues with providing feedback in our unit
Resource intensive
Large student numbers – in Sem 1 and in Sem 2
Students don’t always engage with the feedback we provide
Postgraduate students studying part-time – very time poor
Students tend to focus predominantly on individual feedback for assessment tasks – almost no posting of tutorial answers for personal feedback
Many students don’t even check their personalised feedback for assignments

4. Research questions
What proportion of students access their personalised feedback for the mid-semester assignment (assignment 1)?
Is there an association between accessing feedback and the final assignment mark?

5. Results In semester 2, 2017, 119 students (94%) submitted assignment 1
Out of these, 70% viewed their personalised feedback
Students who failed the assignment (19/119) were more likely to view their feedback (75% vs 68%)
Those who accessed their feedback did better in assignment 2 than those who didn’t
This occurred in both those who failed and didn’t fail assignment 1 but the size of the difference in median marks was greater in those who failed

6. Median difference in assignment 2 marks

7. What does this mean? Do students improve because
We give great feedback that helps their learning
The behavior of viewing feedback is a marker of particular student characteristics that are associated with better performance
Different baseline knowledge or skills
Level of engagement in the unit of study

8. Median baseline knowledge quiz score (out of 15)

9. Engagement with the unit of study – tutorial participation

10. Median total number of pages viewed in Canvas site

11. Summary
Viewing feedback is associated with an increased median mark in the final assignment
Viewing feedback is also associated with
Lower score on the baseline knowledge quiz
Minimal difference in tutorial participation
Greater number of pages viewed in Canvas (higher engagement)
These associations are present in students who failed assignment 1 and those whose passed assignment 1 but are greater in those who failed assignment 1

12. How we plan to use this research in our teaching
Reinforce to students that quiz marks (both the baseline knowledge and weekly quizzes) do not assess all skills
Use the results of higher median marks in those viewing feedback as a tool to increase student engagement with feedback