E-formative feedback in emergency remote learning: First-year student teachers' experiences and challenges
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38140/ijer-2024.vol6.38Keywords:
Assessment, e-formative feedback, teacher education, emergency remote learning, academic achievementAbstract
This study examined the role of e-formative feedback in emergency remote teaching and learning for first-year student teachers. Numerous scholars have acknowledged the pedagogical value of formative feedback in teacher education. However, there is a pressing need for significant improvement in the quality and accessibility of e-formative feedback provided to student teachers in online learning environments. This study explored the nature of e-formative feedback, technological challenges, and pedagogical practices employed by teacher educators when implementing formative assessment in emergency remote learning contexts. The study is underpinned by Interactive Tutoring Feedback model as the theoretical framework. We utilised the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach, specifically employing a case study methodology as a means of inquiry. The empirical investigation involved 20 first-year student teachers selected purposively from a large public university in South Africa. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysis of learning management system logs, with thematic analysis employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that meaningful e-formative feedback could have been enhanced by addressing contextual factors such as limited internet connectivity and a lack of familiarity with online learning platforms. While student teachers valued the quality of e-formative feedback, they expressed concern regarding their ability to consistently access and engage with feedback to improve their learning in the isolated online environment. This paper recommends providing both student teachers and teacher educators with the necessary technological support and training to effectively utilise e-formative feedback and enhance student teachers' academic achievement and professional development during emergency remote learning.
References
Boud, D., & Molloy, E. (2013). Rethinking models of feedback for learning: The challenge of design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(6), 698–712. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2012.691462
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Broadbent, J., & Poon, W. L. (2015). Self-regulated learning strategies & academic achievement in online higher education learning environments: A systematic review. The Internet and Higher Education, 27, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2015.04.007
Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: Enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(8), 1315–1325. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354
Carrillo, C., & Flores, M. A. (2020). COVID-19 and teacher education: A literature review of online teaching and learning practices. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4), 466-487. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1821184
Czerniewicz, L., Agherdien, N., Badenhorst, J., Belluigi, D., Chambers, T., Chili, M., de Villiers, M., Felix, A., Gachago, D., Gokhale, C., Ivala, E., Kramm, N., Madiba, M., Mistri, G., Mgqwashu, E., Pallitt, N., Prinsloo, P., Solomon, K., Strydom, S., ... Wissing, G. (2020). A wake-up call: Equity, inequality and Covid-19 emergency remote teaching and learning. Postdigital Science and Education, 2(3), 946-967. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00187-4
Dube, B. (2020). Rural online learning in the context of COVID-19 in South Africa: Evoking an inclusive education approach. Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research, 10(2), 135–157. https://doi.org/10.17583/remie.2020.5607
Evans, C. (2013). Making sense of assessment feedback in higher education. Review of Educational Research, 83(1), 70–120. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312474350
Flores, M. A., & Gago, M. (2020). Teacher education in times of COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: National, institutional and pedagogical responses. Journal of Education for Teaching, 46(4), 507-516. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2020.1799709
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1-2), 5–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2009.10.003
Gikandi, J. W., Morrow, D., & Davis, N. E. (2011). Online formative assessment in higher education: A review of the literature. Computers & Education, 57(4), 2333-2351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.06.004
Guangul, F. M., Suhail, A. H., Khalit, M. I., & Khidhir, B. A. (2020). Challenges of remote assessment in higher education in the context of COVID-19: A case study of Middle East College. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 32, 519-535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-020-09340-w
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause Review, 27, 1–12.
Jansen, J., & Farmer-Phillips, K. (2021). The long-term impact of short-term responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in South African higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 40(5), 953-967. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1909029
Mhlanga, D., & Moloi, T. (2020). COVID-19 and the digital transformation of education: What are we learning on 4IR in South Africa? Education Sciences, 10(7), 180. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10070180
Motala, S., & Menon, K. (2020). In search of the 'new normal': Reflections on teaching and learning during Covid-19 in a South African university. Southern African Review of Education, 26(1), 80-99.
Mpungose, C. B. (2020). Emergent transition from face-to-face to online learning in a South African University in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00603-x
Muhuro, P., & Kang'ethe, S. M. (2021). Prospects and pitfalls associated with implementing blended learning in rural-based higher education institutions in Southern Africa. Perspectives in Education, 39(1), 427-441. https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593X/pie.v39.i1.26
Narciss, S., & Huth, K. (2004). How to design informative tutoring feedback for multimedia learning. In H. M. Niegemann, D. Leutner, & R. Brünken (Eds.), Instructional design for multimedia learning (pp. 181–195). Münster, Germany: Waxmann.
Ngubane-Mokiwa, S. A. (2020). Information and communication technology as a learning tool: Experiences of students with blindness. African Journal of Disability, 9, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v9i0.647
Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane?Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self?regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070600572090
Ramrathan, L. (2020). School curriculum in South Africa in the Covid-19 context: An opportunity for education for relevance. Prospects, 51, 383-392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09490-1
Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Salmon, G. (2013). E-tivities: The key to active online learning (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Selwyn, N. (2020). Online learning: Rethinking teachers' 'digital competence' in light of COVID-19. Education and Technology, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1802893
Shute, V. J. (2008). Focus on formative feedback. Review of Educational Research, 78(1), 153–189. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307313795
Shute, V. J., & Rahimi, S. (2017). Review of computer?based assessment for learning in elementary and secondary education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12172
Songca, R. N., Ndebele, C., & Mbodila, M. (2021). Mitigating the implications of COVID-19 on the academic project at Walter Sisulu University in South Africa: A proposed framework for emergency remote teaching and learning. Journal of Student Affairs in Africa, 9(1), 41-60. https://doi.org/10.24085/jsaa.v9i1.1427
Sutton, P. (2012). Conceptualising feedback literacy: Knowing, being, and acting. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 49(1), 31–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2012.647781
Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing & Health Sciences, 15(3), 398-405. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12048
van der Zanden, P. J., Denessen, E., Cillessen, A. H., & Meijer, P. C. (2018). Domains and predictors of first-year student success: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 23, 57-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2018.01.001
Winstone, N. E., Nash, R. A., Parker, M., & Rowntree, J. (2017). Supporting learners' agentic engagement with feedback: A systematic review and a taxonomy of recipience processes. Educational Psychologist, 52(1), 17–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2016.1207538
Winstone, N., & Boud, D. (2022). The need to disentangle assessment and feedback in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 47(3), 656-667. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1779687
Winstone, N., & Carless, D. (2020). Designing effective feedback processes in higher education: A learning-focused approach. Routledge.
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Sage Publications.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(2), 64-70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2024 Raudina Madina Simelane, Preya Pillay
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
