Enhanced feedback literacy through ePortfolios

Shari Bowker, University of Queensland         

Danielle Cave, University of the Sunshine Coast

Christine Slade, University of Queensland

Acknowledgement �of Country

The University of Queensland (UQ) acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which we meet.

We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country.

We recognise their valuable contributions to Australian and global society.

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The Brisbane River pattern from A Guidance Through Time �by Casey Coolwell and Kyra Mancktelow.

Setting the scene – the context

2023 Eportfolio Forum

Professionalism assessment before

Perceived issues:

• Conducted at the end of placement by the placement supervisor and emailed to the course coordinator
• No student agency 
• Not transparent or learning focussed - feedback not captured or shared with student
• Does not capture the skills, complex cultures, norms and practices of professionalism in dietetics (or map to the Dietitians Australia National Competency Standards)
• Supervisors just ticked yes! (was not effective for identifying or addressing professionalism issues)

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New professionalism assessment

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Contains six key criteria which map to the DA competencies within domains of Professional Practice and Collaborative Practice.

But how do we implement effective feedback processes???

Student feedback literacy�

Student feedback literacy is…”the understandings, capacities and dispositions needed to make sense of information and use it to enhance work or learning strategies.” (Carless & Boud, 2018). 

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Feedback literacy required

Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation

Research question: 

How can an ePortfolio support the development of student feedback literacy using a professionalism assessment process?

Four elements of student feedback literacy

Managing Affect

Making Judgments

Develop capacity for evaluative judgement

Participate in effective peer and self-evaluations

Appreciate their active role, rather than being passive

Recognise different sources of feedback

Use tech to curate and work with feedback

Manage emotions, avoid defensive reactions

Are proactive in seeking feedback to improve work or learning strategies

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Taking Action

Are aware of their role to action feedback

Synthesise feedback from various sources and use opportunities to apply feedback.

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Appreciating feedback

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(Adapted from Carless & Boud, 2018)

Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation

Professional assessment design

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Intentions of the design:

• Activate the student’s role and agency
• Develop capacity for evaluative judgement, reflection on performance
• Self-assessment is reflective, engages students with expectations and criteria
• Support emotional impact of feedback
• Increase uptake and action with feedback

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Sustaining ePortfolio practice

Inside Anthology ePortfolio

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Case study

Ethics approval: UQ Human Research Ethics Committee #2022/HE000800 

Research participants: Year 2 students in the Master of Dietetics Studies program

Data collection:

• Survey: Qualtrics survey using 5-point Likert questions
•  Mapped to Carless & Boud’s (2018) elements of feedback literacy, 35 participants
• Focus groups:
• How the placement context affects a student’s capacity to engage in feedback, 2 groups of 2 participants

Data analysis: Descriptive statistics for the survey questions and thematic analysis for focus group transcripts (Braun & Clarke, 2012)

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Preliminary findings

We’d like to share two themes which emerged in the data:

(1) Students appreciated their active learner role 

(2) The ePortfolio facilitates the revisit of feedback in the current context

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1. The self-assessment 
• Was highly received with 75% of participants agreeing it helped to realise their active role 
• Students also reported they valued the self-assessment to make judgements on their own performance which consequently prepared them emotionally to engage in feedback with their supervisor

Preliminary findings

2. The interim professionalism assessment
• Survey results were less positive, however, focus group participants found it extremely valuable for identifying the areas of improvement. Some supervisors did not provide any feedback, possibly contributing to 45% of students feeling neutral or negative

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Preliminary findings

3. The feedback prompt on the final professionalism assessment
• The end of placement assessment prompt effectively engaged students in the feedback process, encouraging them to reflect on their progress, tracing their actions based on previous feedback 

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Preliminary findings

3. Students revisit feedback in their ePortfolio…but only in the current course!
• ePortfolios support integrative learning, where students look back and connect learning between contexts (Peet et. al., 2011).
• However, survey data showed that while students engaged with their interim feedback for their final placement assessment, revisiting feedback beyond the immediate context was not a priority
• Focus group participants revealed old habits persisted (i.e., once the course is over, it’s over) and the ePortfolio can be click heavy

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Conclusion and next steps

• The ePortfolio supported the development of feedback literacy using a professionalism assessment, conducted longitudinally throughout a program of study
• Students appreciated their active role; they made their own judgements on their performance (preparing emotionally to engage in feedback) and they actioned the feedback that they received

Next steps:

• Continue student focus group analysis
• Conduct focus groups with placement supervisors, and data analysis
• ePortfolio document analysis
• Future publications and dissemination
• Re-design of the re-design to meet accreditation body requirements and create feedback loops BETWEEN courses

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2023 Eportfolio Forum

Questions?

Shari Bowker @shari_bowker

Danielle Cave @DrDanielleCave

Christine Slade @DrCSlade

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References:

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis. American Psychological Association.

Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment and evaluation in higher education, 43(8), 1315-1325.

Peet, M., Lonn, S., Gurin, P., Boyer, K. P., Matney, M., Marra, T., Taylor, S. H., & Daley, A. (2011). Fostering Integrative Knowledge through ePortfolios. International journal of ePortfolio, 1(1), 11-31. 

Winstone, N. E., & Carless, D. (2020). Designing effective feedback processes in higher education : a learning-focused approach. Taylor & Francis CAM : Routledge.

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CRICOS 00025B

CRICOS 00025B • TEQSA PRV12080