Using the Instructional Beliefs Model to Examine Instructional Feedback in the Classroom

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the role that instructional feedback plays in student engagement using Weber, Martin, and Myers\u27s (2001) Instructional Beliefs Model (IBM). The proposed IBM for this dissertation included first-order constructs (i.e., instructional feedback, course workload, course difficulty, and students\u27 feedback orientation), a second-order construct (i.e., feedback self-efficacy), and a third-order construct (i.e., student engagement). As hypothesized, instructional feedback (i.e., developmental, fairness) is positively associated with feedback self-efficacy, while course workload and course difficulty are negatively associated with feedback self- efficacy. However, only two dimensions of students\u27 feedback orientation (i.e., utility, retention) were positively associated with feedback self-efficacy. Overall, in regard to the hypothesized relationships with student engagement, instructional feedback, students\u27 feedback orientation, and feedback self-efficacy were positively associated with student engagement. Course workload and course difficulty were negatively associated with student engagement. Furthermore, students\u27 feedback self-efficacy does not indirectly affect the relationship between instructional feedback, course workload, course difficulty, students\u27 feedback orientation, and student engagement. The results were discussed in light of research on instructional feedback, self-efficacy, and student engagement. These findings should be taken with caution due to three limitations: measurement error, the data collection procedures, and the theoretical framework

Preparing to Learn: Structuring the Basic Course to Increase Student Preparation and Learning

This manuscript investigates whether frequent quizzing might facilitate greater preparation and learning in the Basic Course and tests variations of frequent quizzing through a series of three separate studies in order to identify best practices for using such quizzes. The first study showed that students who were given frequent quizzes performed better on the final exam than students who were given a midterm. The second study showed that frequent online quizzes can be just as effective as frequent in-class quizzes. In the final study, students were given skeletal notes to fill out as they prepared for class, and the results showed that students who were allowed to use their notes performed better than those who could note use their notes on quizzes, but those who did not use their notes on quizzes performed better on the final exam and had greater long-term retention