Background
In times of focusing on learning results and learning outcomes in institutions for Higher Education (2011; 2015, Directory of Education), we wish to address the central objective in education, that is, to cope with the challenge of learning (Hattie, 2007). This aspect is not new to the educational community. Nowadays, one could get the impression that the current practice of documenting and reporting on students’ individual learning activities is being reduced to an instrumental approach instead of supporting better learning. If this instrumental approach is excessively used, a kind of “iron cage” might develop, neglecting the proper meaning of feedback, assessment and evaluation for learning purposes (Gjøsæter, 2011). We wish to change the detached perspective on assessment by re-integrating it into the learning process. A distinction is typically made between formative and summative forms of assessment, that is, between ongoing assessment on individual or group learning performance and final assessment (Suskie, 2018).
Phenomenon
Feedback and digital feedback tools are not a guarantee for better learning. The effectiveness of the feedback depends on how the feedback is perceived (Ferguson, 2011) and used (Grossman et al., 2009). In addition, the attention span of students seems to have diminished (Bradbury, 2016) and the way students are used to interact daily. The changed attitude and behavior towards digital tools for information, communication, and social interaction will have an impact on their learning skills, specifically on their (meta-) cognition and self-regulation (Brady et al., 2013). Shorter periods of feedback, higher frequency and alternative ways to the oral feedback by teachers seems to be needed. Within this symposium, we will show examples of conducted and ongoing explorative research projects, on how feedback, as a form of formative assessment, can contribute to learning in higher education. We will start with a conceptual discussion on the influence of North-American LMSs (i.e. Canvas), their design, functionalities, actual use and implications at Norwegian Universities. As feedback strategies the symposium will present approaches of teacher-initiated feedback, student-initiated feedback combined with student-involvement, as well as student self-assessment. As tools and platforms i.e. Clicker-technology, E-portfolios (JIT, VIZ), Canvas, TEAMS, and related pedagogic strategies, in Teacher Education lectures on- and off-campus are presented.
Symposiums Objectives and Research Question
Our symposium intends to stress the importance of feedback opportunities integrated into the learning process (Engh, 2011; Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Hereby, we refer to Autio too as a tipping point for our research endeavor. It is based on the fact that assessment is seen as a crucial part of learning or simply to reintegrate the meaning of assessment and evaluation as natural part of pedagogic processes and teachers’ work (see Autio, 2017). The symposium aims to contribute towards an understanding that feedback is necessary and crucial in student learning. To enable formative assessment, we make use of digital tools to facilitate feedback, self-assessment and communication with and between the students. The symposiums overarching research question is therefore: How can learning approaches be designed to integrate formative assessment and feedback for learning in preservice-teacher training?
