Guest Editors’ Introduction Formative Feedback in Digital Learning Environments

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Formative e-feedback in collaborative writing assignments: the effect of the process and time

Writing is one of the most common activities in higher education, and is essential if we are situated in virtual learning environments based on written communication. However, the fact that it is a customary activity does not mean that it is specifically taught or that guidance is given to help students in the academic writing process (Lonka, 2003). In fact, the opposite often happens; students are already expected to know how to write in different contexts. Nevertheless, students require specific support from teachers and their peers to enable them to deal with the processes and products of academic communication. Feedback could be one type of support, seen as a joint activity which entails active interaction between students and the teacher, including how students receive and utilise the feedback (Dysthe, 2007), but not all kinds of feedback are effective.This study thus explores the impact of formative e-feedback on students' texts written collaboratively in an online learning environment and also it explores when the e-feedback takes place in a way which contributes to the inclusion of more complex arguments in academic texts. A proactive reaction by the students was caused in response to feedback. This happened when they received messages questioning their work but also suggesting changes, in addition to correction. The pattern that seems to generate quality changes in collaborative text revision processes is initiated by teacher elaboration feedback, which generates discussion among the students and, as a result, leads to contextualised changes to the text.Proposing regular feedback that requires discussion among the students turns out to be an essential strategy to encourage high quality revision of texts written collaboratively in an online learning environment

Guest Editors' Introduction: Formative feedback in digital learning environments

Formative feedback is widely considered one of the most influential elements within teaching and learning processes, as evidenced by a range of articles and reviews conducted primarily in face-toface environments (see, for example, Evans, 2013; Kluger & DeNisi, 1998; Hattie & Timperley, 2007; Kulhavy & Stock, 1989; Mory, 2004; Narciss & Huth, 2004; Shute, 2008). A review of the literature shows that feedback has been conceptualized according to specific learning viewpoints. Different psychological perspectives -objectivism, information processing, socioculturalism, visible learning theory- provide distinct frameworks for describing different views of learning and the nature, characteristics and function of feedback (Hattie & Gan, 2011)..

Technology educational affordance: Bridging the gap between patterns of interaction and technology usage

This paper reports on an empirical and descriptive investigation into how teachers and learners use technology in three prototypical learning activities in a higher educational online learning environment. Additionally, the relationship between the educational uses of technology and the overall educational patterns of interaction between teachers and learners, and among learners themselves was analysed. Detailed teacher and learner self-reports about their teaching and learning activity; the asynchronous written messages teachers and learners sent as educational interaction in the online llearning environment; and documents produced by students were all obtained. The results from the three learning activities indicated six overall educational uses of technology in an online learning environment. Moreover, the results also indicated differences in technology usage in some different patterns of educational interaction in each learning activity. In conclusion, we argue that the notion of technology educational affordance is useful as an effective bridge between the real use of technology and instructional aims. Therefore the distribution of educational uses of technology is not only related to some attributes of both technology and instruction but also to its interaction

Recommendations on Formative Assessment and Feedback Practices for stronger engagement in MOOCs

Many publications and surveys refer to the high drop out rate in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which is around 90%, especially if we compare the number of students who register against those who finish. Working towards improving student engagement in MOOCs, we focus on providing specific research-based recommendations on formative assessment and feedback practices that can advance student activity. In this respect, we analysed some significant research papers on formative assessment and feedback methods applicable to face-to-face teaching environments that advance student engagement, and concluded with related requirements and conditions that can be applied also to MOOCs. We also analysed 4050 comments and reviews of the seven most active and highly rated MOOCs (6 Coursera ones and 1 from EdX) provided by the students who have mainly completed those courses via CourseTalk. Based on this content analysis, we have formulated fourteen recommendations that support also the requirements/conditions of our conceptual and theoretical framework analysis. The results obtained give some light in a rather unexplored research area, which is the research on formative assessment and feedback practices specifically for stronger engagement in MOOCs

Analysis of feedback processes in online group interaction : a methodological model

The aim of this article is to present a methodological model to analyze students' group interaction to improve their essays in online learning environments, based on asynchronous and written communication. In these environments teacher and student scaffolds for discussion are essential to promote interaction. One of these scaffolds can be the feedback. Research on feedback processes has predominantly focused on feedback design rather than on how students utilize feedback to improve learning. This methodological model fills this gap contributing to analyse the implementation of the feedback processes while students discuss collaboratively in a specific case of writing assignments. A review of different methodological models was carried out to define a framework adjusted to the analysis of the relationship of written and asynchronous group interaction, and students' activity and changes incorporated into the final text. The model proposed includes the following dimensions: 1) student participation 2) nature of student learning and 3) quality of student learning. The main contribution of this article is to present the methodological model and also to ascertain the model's operativity regarding how students incorporate such feedback into their essays

Uso del Campus Virtual en el proceso del practicum en un contexto universitario de modalidad presencial

The objectives of this research are describing the present-day usage of the VC and knowing the possibilities of the usage of the VC during the practicum in the European Area of the Higher Education framework. To attain these objectives a methodology based on students, professors and managers’ perceptions has been designed within a studying context. The results and conclusions withdrawn give evidence to the fact that present-day VC during the process of the practicum is used mainly like a communication tool among participants and like a container of learning contents. Although these usages don’t master a transformation of the educational experience, the results reveal that participants consider the usage of VC an interesting resource to explore and, specifically in relation to the managing of the practicum, to create inner spaces of exchange and coordination among the professors/ tutors of the practical period and in relation to the planning of the practises and their supervision and tutelage.Los objetivos de la presente investigación son describir los usos actuales del Campus Virtual (CV) y conocer las posibilidades de uso del CV durante el practicum en el marco del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES). Para conseguir estos objetivos se ha diseñado una metodología basada en las percepciones de estudiantes, profesores y directivos del contexto de estudio. Los resultados y conclusiones obtenidos evidencian que los usos actuales del CV durante el proceso del practicum son principalmente como herramientas de comunicación entre participantes y como repositorios de contenidos de aprendizaje. Si bien estos usos no poseen una capacidad transformadora de las prácticas educativas, los resultados ponen de manifiesto que los participantes consideran el uso del CV como un recurso interesante de explorar y, específicamente, en relación a la gestión del practicum, a la creación de espacios internos de intercambio y coordinación de los profesores/tutores de prácticas y en relación a la planificación de las prácticas y a la supervisión y tutorización de las misma

University teacher competencies in a virtual teaching/learning environment: Analysis of a teacher training experience

This paper attempts to shed light on the competencies a teacher must have in order to teach in online university environments. We will relate a teacher training experience, which was designed taking into account the methodological criteria established in line with previous theoretical principles. The main objective of our analysis is to identify the achievements and difficulties of a specific formative experience, with the ultimate goal of assessing the suitability of this conceptualmethodological framework for the design of formative proposals aiming to contribute to the development of teacher competencies for virtual environments.This paper attempts to shed light on the competencies a teacher must have in order to teach in online university environments. We will relate a teacher training experience, which was designed taking into account the methodological criteria established in line with previous theoretical principles. The main objective of our analysis is to identify the achievements and difficulties of a specific formative experience, with the ultimate goal of assessing the suitability of this conceptualmethodological framework for the design of formative proposals aiming to contribute to the development of teacher competencies for virtual environments

Setting-up a European Cross-Provider Data Collection on Open Online Courses

While MOOCS have emerged as a new form of open online education around the world, research is still lagging behind to come up with a sound theoretical basis that can cover the impact of socio- economic background variables, ICT competences, prior experiences and lifelong learning profile, variance in intentions, environmental influences, outcome expectations, learning experience, and economic return on taking and completing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The potential diversity of participants of MOOCs has been taken as a starting point to develop a theoretical model and survey instrument with the goal to establish a large-scale, cross-provider data collection of participants of (European) MOOCs. This article provides an overview of the theoretical model, the start-phase of the project, and reflects on first experiences with the cross- provider data collection.This work has been partially funded by a tender (JRC/SVQ/2013/J.3/0035/NC) of the European Commission’s Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS)

¿Cómo implicar a los estudiantes para que utilicen el feedback online?

Despite a firm commitment to the implementation of continuous and formative assessment in Higher Education, in practice, this type of assessment is still not a reality. In this assessment framework, feedback processes take on a key relevance as learning facilitators. However, recent research on feedback concludes that students do not use it and they do not engage with it. The aim of this study is to provide evidence on how the strategy based upon the resubmission of an assignment can promote students’ engagement with feedback in online or hybrid environments. To achieve this aim, a quasi-experiment with pre-post measurements was designed. The sample consisted of 76 students who received the intervention (resubmission of the assignment after receiving feedback) and 60 students in the control group. Results show that resubmission is associated with higher levels of engagement with feedback. The discussion highlights the relevance of the results in online contexts or with intensive use of technology, and the potential to transfer them to educational practice. This, in turn, has an impact on the regulation and design of actual effective training practices that can eventually contribute to learning.A pesar de una apuesta firme por la implantación de una evaluación continua y formativa en el contexto universitario, en la práctica, este tipo de evaluación todavía hoy no es una realidad. En este marco de evaluación, los procesos de feedback toman una relevancia clave como facilitadores del aprendizaje. Sin embargo, los resultados de las investigaciones que se han llevado a cabo en los últimos años sobre el feedback concluyen que los estudiantes no lo utilizan, es decir, no lo aprovechan para mejorar su aprendizaje. El objetivo del presente artículo es aportar evidencias sobre cómo la estrategia basada en la reelaboración del trabajo académico puede promover la implicación de los estudiantes con el feedback en entornos virtuales o híbridos. Para dar respuesta a este objetivo se diseñó un cuasi-experimento con medidas pre-post. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 76 estudiantes que recibieron la intervención (reelaboración del trabajo a partir del feedback recibido y entrega final) y 60 del grupo control. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto que la reelaboración del trabajo va asociada a niveles más altos de implicación con el feedback. La discusión sitúa la relevancia de los resultados en contextos virtuales o con un uso intensivo de la tecnología y su potencialidad para transferirlos a la práctica educativa, por su impacto en la regulación y en el diseño de prácticas realmente formativas que contribuyan al aprendizaje