Student Perceptions of Instructor Feedback

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Brief Abstract

Feedback in online modalities continues to be an important area of discussion. As a result, there is need to examine the most valuable way to provide feedback to benefit student learning. In this session, research on student perceptions of feedback will be presented. Research findings will provide faculty and administrators with greater understanding of the most valuable ways to provide discussion forum feedback that is most beneficial to student learning in the online classroom.

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Presenters

Lead Presenter: Helen Hammond, Grand Canyon University

Helen Hammond is a passionate Lifelong learner and enthusiastic encourager. She is committed to the development of others and enjoys seeing them realize their potential. She believes we are 'Better Together'. When she’s not loving 'Lope Life' on campus at GCU…she’s loving 'Arizona Life' on the 40 acres she and her husband have in Northwest Arizona and their adult sons frequently visit! Dr. Hammond is senior program manager and assistant professor in the Center for Innovation in Research on Teaching at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. She teaches undergraduate business courses including management, organizational behavior, servant leadership, marketing, and leadership in organizations. Dr. Hammond holds a PhD in In Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Her Research interests include servant leadership, management, teaching and learning, and online teaching best practices.

Co-presenter: B. Jean Mandernach, Grand Canyon University

B. Jean Mandernach, Ph.D. is Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching at Grand Canyon University. Her research focuses on enhancing student learning in the online classroom through innovative instructional and assessment strategies. In addition, she has interests in the development of effective faculty evaluation models, perception of online degrees, and faculty workload considerations. Jean received her B.S. in comprehensive psychology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, an M.S. in experimental psychology from Western Illinois University and Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Additional Authors

Elizabeth Loar*, Grand Canyon University

*In memory of Dr. Elizabeth Ann O'Dell Loar, whose dedication to teaching and learning touched so many.

Extended Abstract

Our purpose as faculty is to prepare our students for the next phase of their lives. Among our various responsibilities, we engage, teach, develop, inspire, question, challenge, and…we provide feedback. Feedback in the online modality takes on many forms; but what is most effective?

 

Key areas related to feedback in the online modality identified in the literature include level and detail of feedback (Barabczyk & Best, 2019; Kyrilov & Noelle, 2014; Planar & Moya, 2016), student preferences related to feedback (Nixon, Brooman, Murphy, & Fearon, 2017; Percell, 2017; Smith, Ralph, MacLeod, & Smilek, 2019), personalized feedback (Baleni, 2015; Percell, 2017; Plana-Erta, Moya, & Simo, 2016), student learning (Baleni, 2015; Dlaska & Krekeler, 2017; Mu & Hatch, 2019;  Planar & Moya, 2016), and student perceptions and use(Diefes-Dux, 2018; Ekahitanond , 2013; Luaces, Diez & Bahamonde 2018; Suzan, Gorban, Levesley, & Mirkes, 2019; Martínez-Argüelles, Plana, Hintzmann, Batalla-Busquets, & Badia, 2015). As faculty and administrators, it is important to understand what feedback student use, what they like, and what is most useful. Understanding the influence that characteristics such as level of detail, focus, target, and grade reference can assist faculty in providing feedback that is most beneficial to students.

In this session, research on student perceptions of feedback will be presented. Research findings will provide faculty and administrators with greater understanding of the most valuable ways to provide discussion forum feedback that is most beneficial to student learning in the online classroom. In addition to presentation of research findings, faculty and administrators attending this session will have the opportunity to collaborate, brainstorm, and explore best practices for feedback in the online modality.