Centre for Bioscience Professional Development Programme

Effective Feedback to Students

Wednesday 22nd February 2006

University of Wolverhampton

Delegates gathered in the School of Applied Sciences for this the second event focusing on giving effective feedback to students.

Timely feedback is known to have a powerful effect on student learning and achievement. However, the production of feedback is potentially costly in terms of staff time and effort, and seems particularly so when students often fail to take notice of the recommendations and encouragement given. During this second Centre for Bioscience event on the theme of feedback you will be able to discuss with bioscience colleagues the issues surrounding the provision of feedback to students. As a result of attending this event you will have had the opportunity to:

consider the key characteristics of effective feedback
hear different examples of time-effective feedback strategies
hear differing feedforward strategies to ensure students engage with feedback

Programme

10.00	Registration; Tea and Coffee
10.20	Welcome and Introduction to the day
10.30	Keynote: Effective feedback to students Steve Swithenby, FAST Project followed by structured discussion
11.30	Refreshments
11.45	"FAST" Formative Assessment in Pharmacology - encouraging the students Iain Coleman, University of Wolverhampton Immediate formative assessment feedback has been integrated into student learning on a Level 2, Introductory Pharmacology module, with the intention of improving engagement, learning and assessment performance. Student experience of assessment was evaluated by means of a questionnaire provided by the FAST Project. There has been a clear improvement in attendance, virtual learning environment (VLE) use and module performance. Students clearly valued immediate feedback, which was given orally and subsequently available in a VLE, and the importance of applying that feedback to their learning.
12.15	Example of giving feedback to students Maureen Dawson, Manchester Metropolitan University
12.45	Lunch
13.45	Workshop session - Effective written feedback Chris Glover, Sheffield Hallam University
15.00	Student feedback in a scientific writing assignment - a case study Rob Reed, University of Northumbria
15.30	Student feedback: Helping students to feed forward Colin Hughes, EFEL project
16.00	Close