Developing Self-regulated Learners Using a Unique Reflective Summative Assessment

Kushwah, L. and Selvaretnam, G. (2022) Developing Self-regulated Learners Using a Unique Reflective Summative Assessment. 15th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, 29 Mar 2022.

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Abstract

Higher Education institutions aim to make their students into lifelong learners and literature reiterates the importance of inner feedback and self-regulated learning where students identify their strengths, shortcomings and ways to improve. We designed a unique reflection-based summative assessment with opportunities to self-generate inner feedback and inculcate graduate skills. This is particularly conducive for diverse learning styles and inclusiveness. Further, we have developed a way to directly interlink formative and summative assessments in such a way that students can engage with tasks that they find challenging without feeling overwhelmed. This also increases students’ participation in formative activities which usually suffers from non-engagement. In this design students had to complete a challenging task, in the form of a formative assessment, and reflect on their experience using a scaffolded survey questionnaire. We then shared a video and a detailed written solution by an expert with students. After this, they were asked again to reflect on their answer through another survey questionnaire. Both reflections, before and after the solution to the task was provided, were part of the summative assessment and were scaffolded. The survey questionnaires were designed carefully with open and close ended questions to enable students to generate their own feedback and tease out the learning that occurs when students compare their own answers with that of an expert. This adds to the strand of new literature on inner feedback that explores the learning which occurs through use of comparators. Since feedback can be provided in different ways, including an expert solution, it is important that we understand the value of this to diverse learners. Such skills will be valuable to students to be able to generate their own feedback about their work and self-regulate their learning. These learning skills contribute to sustainable and lifelong learning as well as student wellbeing. Our design of assessment using reflection is a transformative approach to learning that supports deep and active learning. It helps student to develop into lifelong learners by giving them opportunity to examine and reflect on their practice. Unlike standard assessments, it is based on uncertainty and thus helps students to realise what they don’t know. Scaffolding our reflective assessment by providing a clear structure and marking criteria effectively we enable students’ critical thinking about theory and practice. Many authors have proposed ways to facilitate reflection and we used these to design our own assessment. We embed counselling into curriculum by promoting mental well-being through continuous learning, encouraging students to notice links between their own learning and real world and designing formative activity that helps students prepare for summative assignment (HEA). This analysis sheds light on the value of experts’ videos as comparators to facilitate feedback generation. We find that reflection is a useful skill to reinforce learning, develop insights about self and regulate own learning. The methodology can transcend disciplines and courses which especially have a problem-solving requirement.

Item Type:Conference or Workshop Item
Additional Information:This paper has also been presented at the Chartered Association of Business Schools Learning, Teaching and Student Experience (LTSE) 2022, Belfast Northern Ireland, 24-25 2022 and the Teaching and Learning Conference 2022, AdvanceHE, Newcastle, UK, 05-07 Jul 2022.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Kushwah, Dr Lovleen and Selvaretnam, Dr Geethanjali
Authors: Kushwah, L., and Selvaretnam, G.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Economics
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