Enhancing the scholarship of teaching and learning: an organic approach

The aim of this paper is to report on an experiment in the School of Management at the University of Surrey whereby the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is being promoted through an approach which is organic in nature. The paper argues that the nature of such scholarship means that its promotion is more likely to be successful when the approach taken is bottom-up and emergent as this is more likely to foster commitment and trust. In defining this approach, the paper draws on a diverse range of literature which is synthesised into a general concept of how such organic approaches may work. The paper concludes by suggesting that developing a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning requires the collective effort of all stakeholders involved.     

Do those who benefit the most need it the least? A four-year experiment in enquiry-based feedback

The aim of this paper is to report on an ongoing experiment in an enquiry-based approach to feedback. Over the course of four years, almost 1800 students have studied a final-year undergraduate module involving a mid-term assignment and end of module examination. Feedback on the assignment is delivered through a process which involves the provision of feedback resources and action planning rather than any individualised comments on the piece of work. The results of the experiment to date suggests that this approach to feedback can have a positive effect on student performance as they make the transition from formative assignment to summative examination but that the main beneficiaries of that performance improvement are students who did well in the assignment rather that students who had average or poor performance.     

The mythology of feedback

Much of the general education and discipline-specific literature on feedback suggests that it is a central and important element of student learning. This paper examines feedback from a social process perspective and suggests that feedback is best understood through an analysis of the interactions between academics and students. The paper argues that these two groups will have their own mythology of feedback and that this will inform their beliefs, attitudes and behaviours in the feedback process. Where there are different mythologies, the outcome will be dissonance. The paper reports on a study in which a 15-item questionnaire was distributed to academics and students in a School of Law and a School of Management. Responses were received from 91 academics and 1197 students. The data suggests that academics and students have different perceptions of feedback and this creates dissonance as the two groups offer different interpretations of the same feedback events.