Feedback Makes Champions

Concurrent Session 8

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

Faculty have limited time. The question becomes: Where should time be spent? In the discussion forum? Making resources to help students be successful? Or, In the gradebook? In this session research findings will be provided related to gradebook feedback in relation to student beliefs about the role, value, and function of instructor feedback to asynchronous discussion assignments.

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 (Virtual Presenter)

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.

Extended Abstract

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions” (Blanchard, 2015). Feedback. Students want it…and instructors like to give it! The growth of online learning has spurred ongoing attention to best practices that maximize teaching and learning effectiveness.

A plethora of research has established the value of asynchronous discussion boards in the online classroom as well as importance of instructor feedback to guide student learning (Çakiroğlu, & Kahyar, 2022; Deborah et al., 2018; DeSantis, 2022; DiPasquale, J., & Hunter, W. J., 2022; Flaherty, 2022). Yet, little is known about the role and value of instructor gradebook feedback in response to what occurs within the discussion forum itself.

While traditional written assignments rely on the instructor’s feedback in the gradebook as the primary way guide, critique, and correct student understanding – discussion forums are unique in that instructor feedback is indirectly provided as a function of the ongoing discussion. The purpose of this research was to examine faculty and students’ perception of the role, value, and function of instructor gradebook feedback to asynchronous discussion assignments. Central to this examination is an awareness that students (and instructors) may place decreased emphasis on the importance of gradebook feedback to online discussions as they are already receiving feedback on this component of their learning within the classroom discussion forum itself.

In this session, research findings will be discussed through the context of two stakeholder groups: faculty and administrators. Faculty will leave this session with a greater understanding of how tools, resources, and best practices for the creation of instructional resources, instructor time spent in class discussions, and instructor feedback in online discussions.  Administrators will walk away from this session armed with resources to return to their teams and set policies and guidelines for faculty related feedback, regular expectations to inspect what they expect, as well as a culture of best practices. Feedback makes champions!