Can 'quality marking' be used to provide effective feedback within higher education?

Providing written feedback to learners within Higher Education can be a time-consuming and frequently ineffective process, with comments often undervalued or not acted upon. The same concerns exist within the primary sector; marking systems do not always effectively support the principles of Assessment for Learning. This frustration resulted in the development of the 'Quality Marking' model for primary schools (Clarke 1998) which follows an explicit process within which the type of comments, or prompts, used are key. This small scale study has investigated whether 'quality marking' – and in particular the use of scaffold prompts – can be applied to the Higher Education context. A group of final year student teachers within initial teacher training received and acted upon the feedback, as well as completing a series of questionnaires to record their perceptions of the process and its formative value. It is clear from the data gathered that 'quality marking' was viewed as an effective approach. Key identified reasons for this were the likelihood of the feedback to feed forward into future learning, the level of engagement from the learner, the clarity of how to bridge the learning gap, and the beginnings of self-monitoring

Navigating the pedagogical, relational and moral economies of assessment: an analysis of the development of student teachers’ understandings of feedback

Feedback is often viewed as the aspect of assessment most likely to increase learning, but this potential value is not always fulfilled in practice. This may be because understanding of feedback has become unclear. The literature (particularly policy literature) tends to position conceptions of feedback in dualistic and opposed terms, for example, teacher-centric versus learner-centric. It is a central premise of this study that feedback cannot be understood in binary terms; feedback is complex with differing nuanced conceptions. Furthermore, in opposition to models that present feedback as static, this thesis suggests feedback is dynamic, changeable, personal and varied. This study will therefore posit that we need a multi-dimensional model of feedback where conceptions are capable of co-existing and changing. Developing a more nuanced understanding of feedback is particularly crucial for the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) sector; these students not only receive feedback as learners but give feedback to their pupils. Their dual role as both feedback donor and recipient makes them a particularly interesting group to study in terms of how their conceptions of feedback are formed. Using a broadly phenomenographic approach, the study tracked eight primary ITE students over three years to understand i) conceptions of feedback as a learner, ii) conceptions of feedback as a teacher and iii) the relationships between developing understanding of feedback as a student and a teacher. Analysis makes use of three economies (relational, pedagogical and moral) enabling meaning to be attributed to the variation of experiences and understanding between participants. Several themes are therefore identified including the significance of dialogue / relationships within feedback and the influence of performativity. The discussion also raises broad implications for practice, not just in ITE, where the study was carried out, but also for schools and Higher Education

The Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary and high resolution biostratigraphy of the pelagic sequences of the kurovice section (Outer Western Carpathians, the northern Tethyan margin)

Microfacies and high resolution studies at the Kurovice quarry (Czech Republic, Outer Western Carpathians) on calpionellids, calcareous and non-calcareous dinoflagellate cysts, sporomorphs and calcareous nannofossils, aligned with paleomagnetism, allow construction of a detailed stratigraphy and paleoenvironmental interpretation across the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary. The Kurovice section consists of allodapic and micrite limestones and marlstones. Identified standard microfacies types SMF2, SMF3 and SMF4 indicate that sediments were deposited on a deep shelf margin (FZ 3), with a change, later, into distal basin conditions and sediments (FZ 1). The sequence spans a stratigraphic range from the Early Tithonian calcareous dinoflagellate Malmica Zone, nannoplankton zone NJT 15 and magnetozone M21r to the late Early Berriasian calpionellid Elliptica Subzone of the Calpionella Zone, nannoplankton NK-1 Zone and M17r magnetozone. The J/K boundary is marked by a quantitative increase of small forms of Calpionella alpina, the base of the Alpina Subzone (that corresponds to NJT 17b and M19n.2n) and by the rare occurrence of Nannoconus wintereri. Palynomorphs include Early Berriasian terrestrial elements - non-calcareous dinoflagellate cysts Achomosphaera neptunii, Prolixosphaeridium sp. A and Tehatnadinium evittii. The depositional area for Kurovice was situated at the margin of the NW Tethys. The influence of cold waters from northern latitudes and potential upwellings is highlighted by: 1) the high proportion of radiolarians and sponge spicules, 2) rare calpionellids represented mostly by hyaline forms, 3) the absence of microgranular calpionellids - chitinoidellids, 4) the small percentage of the genera Nannoconus, Polycostella and Conusphaera in nannofossil assemblages, as compared to other sites in Tethys, 5) scarce Nannoconus compressus, which has otherwise been mentioned from the Atlantic area.Web of Science70218215

Physical Properties of Deep Drill Cores : Implications for Meteorite Impact Effects and Crustal Structures

Physical properties provide valuable information about the nature and behavior of rocks and minerals. The changes in rock physical properties generate petrophysical contrasts between various lithologies, for example, between shocked and unshocked rocks in meteorite impact structures or between various lithologies in the crust. These contrasts may cause distinct geophysical anomalies, which are often diagnostic to their primary cause (impact, tectonism, etc). This information is vital to understand the fundamental Earth processes, such as impact cratering and associated crustal deformations. However, most of the present day knowledge of changes in rock physical properties is limited due to a lack of petrophysical data of subsurface samples, especially for meteorite impact structures, since they are often buried under post-impact lithologies or eroded. In order to explore the uppermost crust, deep drillings are required. This dissertation is based on the deep drill core data from three impact structures: (i) the Bosumtwi impact structure (diameter 10.5 km, 1.07 Ma age; Ghana), (ii) the Chesapeake Bay impact structure (85 km, 35 Ma; Virginia, U.S.A.), and (iii) the Chicxulub impact structure (180 km, 65 Ma; Mexico). These drill cores have yielded all basic lithologies associated with impact craters such as post-impact lithologies, impact rocks including suevites and breccias, as well as fractured and unfractured target rocks. The fourth study case of this dissertation deals with the data of the Paleoproterozoic Outokumpu area (Finland), as a non-impact crustal case, where a deep drilling through an economically important ophiolite complex was carried out. The focus in all four cases was to combine results of basic petrophysical studies of relevant rocks of these crustal structures in order to identify and characterize various lithologies by their physical properties and, in this way, to provide new input data for geophysical modellings. Furthermore, the rock magnetic and paleomagnetic properties of three impact structures, combined with basic petrophysics, were used to acquire insight into the impact generated changes in rocks and their magnetic minerals, in order to better understand the influence of impact. The obtained petrophysical data outline the various lithologies and divide rocks into four domains. Based on target lithology the physical properties of the unshocked target rocks are controlled by mineral composition or fabric, particularly porosity in sedimentary rocks, while sediments result from diverse sedimentation and diagenesis processes. The impact rocks, such as breccias and suevites, strongly reflect the impact formation mechanism and are distinguishable from the other lithologies by their density, porosity and magnetic properties. The numerous shock features resulting from melting, brecciation and fracturing of the target rocks, can be seen in the changes of physical properties. These features include an increase in porosity and subsequent decrease in density in impact derived units, either an increase or a decrease in magnetic properties (depending on a specific case), as well as large heterogeneity in physical properties. In few cases a slight gradual downward decrease in porosity, as a shock-induced fracturing, was observed. Coupled with rock magnetic studies, the impact generated changes in magnetic fraction the shock-induced magnetic grain size reduction, hydrothermal- or melting-related magnetic mineral alteration, shock demagnetization and shock- or temperature-related remagnetization can be seen. The Outokumpu drill core shows varying velocities throughout the drill core depending on the microcracking and sample conditions. This is similar to observations by Kern et al., (2009), who also reported the velocity dependence on anisotropy. The physical properties are also used to explain the distinct crustal reflectors as observed in seismic reflection studies in the Outokumpu area. According to the seismic velocity data, the interfaces between the diopside-tremolite skarn layer and either serpentinite, mica schist or black schist are causing the strong seismic reflectivities.Kivien ja mineraalien fysikaaliset ominaisuudet tarjoavat arvokasta tietoa maankuoren materiaalien olemuksesta ja niiden ominaisuuksista. Muutokset kivien fysikaalisissa ominaisuuksissa tuottavat petrofysikaalisia kontrasteja eri kivilajien välillä, kuten esimerkiksi impaktikraatterien impaktikivet ja kohdekivet sekä erilaiset vaihtelut maankuoren kivilajeissa. Nämä kontrastit saattavat aiheuttaa geofysikaalia poikkeavuuksia, jotka havaitaan niiden ensisijaisen synnyn perusteella (impakti, tektoniikka, jne). Kivien fysikaalisten ominaisuuksien määrittäminen on tärkeää tutkiessamme Maapallon kehitysprosesseja, kuten meteoriitti-impaktien ja maankuoren deformaation vaikutuksia. Suurin osa tämän päivän tietämyksestä kivien fysikaalisten ominaisuuksien muutoksista ovat kuitenkin rajallisia johtuen vähäisestä pintakivien petrofysikaalisesta aineistosta. Erityisesti meteoriittikraattereiden pintakivien ominaisuudet ovat osittain puutteellisia, sillä kraatterit ovat usein hautautuneet sedimentteihin tai ne ovat kokeneet merkittävää impaktin jälkeistä eroosiota. Syväkairausten avulla voimme kuitenkin tutkia maankuoren ylimpiä kerroksia. Tämä väitöskirja perustuu kolmen impaktirakenteen syväkairausaineistoon: (i) Bosumtwi impaktikraatteri, Ghana, (ii) Chesapeake Bay impaktikraatteri, USA ja (iii) Chicxulub impaktikraatteri, Meksiko. Näissä kairausnäytteissä esiintyvät kaikki impaktirakenteiden tyypilliset litologiat, kuten impaktin jälkeiset litologiat, impaktikivet, sekä murtuneet ja ehjät kohdekivet. Tämän väitöskirjatyön neljäs osa-aihe käsittelee paleoproterotsooista aineistoa Suomesta Outokummun alueelta. Tässä impaktiin liittymättömässä aiheessa on kyse syväkairauksesta taloudellisesti tärkeän ofioliittikompleksin läpi. Kaikkien neljän osa-aiheen painopisteenä oli yhdistää maan kuoren rakenteelle merkityksellisten kivien petrofysikaalisten perustutkimuksien tulokset. Tulosten avulla tunnistettiin ja karakterisoitiin erilaisia litologioita perustuen niiden fysikaalisiin ominaisuuksiin ja näin saatiin uutta tietoa mahdollisiin geofysikaalisiin mallinnuksiin. Lisäksi kolmen impaktirakenteen kivien magneettiset ja paleomagneettiset ominaisuudet yhdistettynä petrofysikaalisiin ominaisuuksiin auttoivat luomaan käsityksen impaktin aiheuttamista muutoksista kivissä ja niiden magneettisissa mineraaleissa sekä impaktin vaikutuksista kallioperään ja kohdekiviin

Roles, relationships and emotions: Student teachers’ understanding of feedback as interpersonal

This paper reports the findings of a small-scale study seeking to investigate how student teachers, within a three-year undergraduate programme, understand feedback. Feedback has been central to debates and discussion in the assessment literature in recent years. Hence, in this paper, feedback is positioned within the often-contradictory discourses of assessment, including perspectives on student and teacher feedback. The study focused on two first year undergraduate student teachers at a small university in England and considered the relationships between their understanding of feedback as a student, their understanding of feedback as an emerging teacher, and the key influences shaping these understandings. A phenomenological case study methodology was employed with interviews as the prime method of data collection. Themes emerged as part of an Nvivo analysis, including emotional responses, relationships and dialogue, all of which appear to have impacted on the students’ conceptual understanding of feedback as indelibly shaped by its interpersonal and affective, rather than purely cognitive or ideational, dimensions. The paper therefore seeks to contribute to the wider feedback discourse by offering an analysis of empirical data. Although situated within English teacher education, there are tentative conclusions that are applicable to international teacher education and as well as higher education more generally

‘So, you want us to do the marking?!’ – peer review and feedback to promote assessment as learning.

The aim of this small scale research study was to investigate whether a primary school formative assessment strategy could be transferred to Higher Education. Visualisers are an increasingly used teaching and learning resource in primary classrooms. Using examples, work is analysed and improved allowing for explicit scaffolding of feedback strategies as well as the unpicking of success criteria. This study sought to use a similar approach with part-time PGCE students, many of which were returning to education after a break. Using two curriculum modules (science and English) example assignments were analysed and improved using the visualiser to prompt discussion as a group and with partners. This then fed into peer and self- marking/ evaluation with the opportunity to apply some of the strategies explored earlier. Data (questionnaires, interviews and assignment feedback) was collected before, during and after these scaffolded sessions and indicated that the students found it to be a valuable strategy in terms of exploring some of the tacit aspects of academic writing. The immediacy of the feedback, dialogic nature of the sessions and common shared understanding that the visualiser allowed all seemed to have impacted positively

Flexing verbal formative feedback to achieve different outcomes: lessons from school

Feedback is often viewed as the aspect most likely to increase learning (Black, Wiliam 1998, Gibbs, Simpson 2004) but successive NSS reports seem to suggest that our HE students do not perceive current feedback practice as valuable. This interactive session will look at how educators can flex their formative feedback to suit the learning needs being presented by their students. From looking at examples from the school sector, participants will be challenged to consider how effective practice can be transferred to Higher Education and the potential to progress traditional routes of assessment for a new generation of learners

The proposal of a GSSP for the Berriasian Stage (Cretaceous System): Part 1.

Here in the first part of this publication we discuss the possibilities for the selection of a GSSP for the Berriasian Stage of the Cretaceous System, based on the established methods for correlation in the Tithonian/Berriasian interval. This will be followed, in the second part, by an account of the stratigraphic evidence that justifies the locality of Tré Maroua (Hautes-Alpes, SE France) as the proposed GSSP. Here we discuss the possibilities for correlation in the historical J/K boundary interval, and the evolution of thinking on the positioning of the boundary over recent generations, and in relation to research in the last ten years. The Tithonian/Berriasian boundary level is accepted as occurring within magnetosubzone M19n.2n. The detailed distribution of calpionellids has been recorded at numerous sites, tied to magnetostratigraphy, and the base of the calpionellid Alpina Zone is taken to define the base of the Berriasian Stage. This is at a level just below the distinctive reversed magnetic subzone M19n.1r (the so-called Brodno reversal). We discuss a wide range of magnetostratigraphic and biostratigraphic data from key localities globally, in the type Berriasian areas of France and wider regions (Le Chouet, Saint Bertrand, Puerto Escaño, Rio Argos, Bosso, Brodno, Kurovice, Theodosia etc.). The characteristic datums that typify the J/K boundary interval in Tethys and its extensions are detailed, and the correlative viability of various fossil groups is discussed. The boundary level is correlated to well-known J/K sections globally, and a series of secondary markers and proxies are indicated which assist wider correlation. Particularly significant are the primary basal Berriasian marker, the base of the Alpina Subzone (marked by dominance of small Calpionella alpina, Crassicollaria parvula and Tintinopsella carpathica) and secondary markers bracketing the base of the Calpionella Zone, notably the FOs of the calcareous nannofossil species Nannoconus wintereri (just below the boundary) and the FO of Nannoconus steinmannii minor (just above). Notable proxies for the boundary are: 1) the base of the Arctoteuthis tehamaensis Zone in boreal and subboreal regions, 2) the dated base of the Alpina Subzone at 140.22 ± 0.14 Ma, which also gives a precise age estimate for the system boundary; and 3) the base of radiolarian “unitary zone” 14, which is situated just above the base of the Alpina Subzone