Supporting learners’ agentic engagement with feedback:a systematic review and a taxonomy of recipience processes

Much has been written in the educational psychology literature about effective feedback and how to deliver it. However, it is equally important to understand how learners actively receive, engage with, and implement feedback. This article reports a systematic review of the research evidence pertaining to this issue. Through an analysis of 195 outputs published between 1985 and early 2014, we identified various factors that have been proposed to influence the likelihood of feedback being used. Furthermore, we identified diverse interventions with the common aim of supporting and promoting learners' agentic engagement with feedback processes. We outline the various components used in these interventions, and the reports of their successes and limitations. Moreover we propose a novel taxonomy of four recipience processes targeted by these interventions. This review and taxonomy provide a theoretical basis for conceptualizing learners' responsibility within feedback dialogues and for guiding the strategic design and evaluation of interventions. Receiving feedback on one's skills and understanding is an invaluable part of the learning process, benefiting learners far more than does simply receiving praise or punishment (Black & Wiliam, 1998 Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5, 7–74. doi:10.1080/0969595980050102[Taylor & Francis Online]; Hattie & Timperley, 2007 Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77, 81–112. doi:10.3102/003465430298487[CrossRef], [Web of Science ®]). Inevitably, the benefits of receiving feedback are not uniform across all circumstances, and so it is imperative to understand how these gains can be maximized. There is increasing consensus that a critical determinant of feedback effectiveness is the quality of learners' engagement with, and use of, the feedback they receive. However, studies investigating this engagement are underrepresented in academic research (Bounds et al., 2013 Bounds, R., Bush, C., Aghera, A., Rodriguez, N., Stansfield, R. B., & Santeen, S. A. (2013). Emergency medicine residents' self-assessments play a critical role when receiving feedback. Academic Emergency Medicine, 20, 1055–1061. doi:10.1111/acem.12231[CrossRef], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®]), which leaves a “blind spot” in our understanding (Burke, 2009 Burke, D. (2009). Strategies for using feedback students bring to higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 34, 41–50. doi:10.1080/02602930801895711[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®]). With this blind spot in mind, the present work sets out to systematically map the research literature concerning learners' proactive recipience of feedback. We use the term “proactive recipience” here to connote a state or activity of engaging actively with feedback processes, thus emphasizing the fundamental contribution and responsibility of the learner (Winstone, Nash, Rowntree, & Parker, in press Winstone, N. E., Nash, R. A., Rowntree, J., & Parker, M. (in press). ‘It'd be useful, but I wouldn't use it’: Barriers to university students' feedback seeking and recipience. Studies in Higher Education. doi: 10.1080/03075079.2015.1130032[Taylor & Francis Online]). In other words, just as Reeve and Tseng (2011 Reeve, J., & Tseng, M. (2011). Agency as a fourth aspect of student engagement during learning activities. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36, 257–267. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2011.05.002[CrossRef], [Web of Science ®]) defined “agentic engagement” as a “student's constructive contribution into the flow of the instruction they receive” (p. 258), likewise proactive recipience is a form of agentic engagement that involves the learner sharing responsibility for making feedback processes effective

Perceptions of HIV cure research among people living with HIV in Australia

Participation in HIV cure-related clinical trials that involve antiretroviral treatment (ART) interruption may pose substantial individual risks for people living with HIV (PLHIV) without any therapeutic benefit. As such, it is important that the views of PLHIV are considered in the design of HIV cure research trials. Examining the lived experience of PLHIV provides unique and valuable perspectives on the risks and benefits of HIV cure research. In this study, we interviewed 20 PLHIV in Australia about their knowledge and attitudes toward clinical HIV cure research and explored their views regarding participation in HIV cure clinical trials, including those that involve ART interruption. Data were analysed thematically, using both inductive and deductive coding techniques, to identity themes related to perceptions of HIV cure research and PLHIV’s assessment of the possible risks and benefits of trial participation. Study findings revealed interviewees were willing to consider participation in HIV cure research for social reasons, most notably the opportunity to help others. Concerns raised about ART interruption related to the social and emotional impact of viral rebound, including fear of onward HIV transmission and anxiety about losing control. These findings reveal the ways in which PLHIV perspectives deepen our understanding of HIV cure research, moving beyond a purely clinical assessment of risks and benefits in order to consider the social context

The historical context of Australia's oral health

AIHW cat. no. DEN 165. "Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, The University of Adelaide Australia

Bad Blood: The Contamination of Australia's Blood Supply and the Emergence of Gay Activism in the Age of AIDS

Paul Sendziu

The homosexual lifestyle hypothesis and the social construction of knowledge about AIDS

Paul Sendziu

Harm reduction and HIV-prevention among injecting drug users in Australia: an international comparison

In response to the threat of HIV transmission via drug injection with shared needles, Australia developed a needle and syringe exchange program that became one of the most comprehensive in the world. Originally health professionals and pharmacists were given the responsibility of implementing the program. However, community-based AIDS organizations were soon also funded to distribute sterile injecting equipment, alcohol swabs, puncture-proof disposable containers, condoms, and safe sex information. Nearly all of the programs operated on a no-need-for-exchange basis, during hours and from outlets (both fixed and mobile) that were convenient for users. Their success in preventing the widespread transmission of HIV among injecting drug users was demonstrated in international studies that found a large discrepancy between the rates of HIV infection in cities with, and without, needle and syringe exchange programs, and was reflected in the continued low level of HIV infection among injecting drug users in Australia. Australia’s success in preventing HIV transmission among drug users suggests the merits of the “harm reduction” approach to controlling drug use as well as funding community- based needle and syringe exchange programs

Criteria-Based Student Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Different Learning Environments

Cuts, in real terms, to tertiary education funding in many countries over the past decade have necessitated a revolution in the way in which courses are taught. The need for cost-efficient course delivery has resulted in increasing class sizes, and is partially responsible for the move towards online methods of content delivery, particularly the use of ‘virtual’ classrooms and online threaded discussion groups. Teachers have needed to adapt to the new environment and especially the increased numbers of bodies in tutorials, moving away from tutor-centred (or top-down) teaching styles to embrace student-directed small group activities. This paper describes four of the most common tutorial formats adopted in the humanities—large (entire class) discussions, small group discussions, role-plays, and internet-based ‘virtual’ discussion groups—and examines student perceptions of their engagement with, and the effectiveness of, each of the formats based on a range of criteria. The information was collected at the end of a semester-length course in 2007 during which the students (n=49) experienced each of the tutorial styles on at least two occasions. Most of the students then completed non-compulsory and anonymous questionnaires in which they were asked to rank the tutorial formats against each other (from 1 to 4) according to eight different criteria; namely which tutorial format was the most enjoyable, which entailed the greatest potential for student embarrassment or intimidation, which offered the greatest opportunity for the student to make a meaningful contribution to the discussion, which offered the easiest means for the student to follow the discussion, which offered the greatest potential for social interaction, which offered the most motivation for the student to prepare and participate, which required the most amount of work, and which was most effective in facilitating learning. The responses of the students pointed to an overwhelming preference for small group activities over large (entire class) discussions, and indicated dissatisfaction with ‘virtual’ tutorials conducted as online threaded discussion groups, which were rated last for the majority of criteria (results that were confirmed by a second questionnaire-based survey that asked questions solely about the tutorials conducted online). This suggests that student enthusiasm for online tutorials as an adjunct to, or replacement for, face-to-face teaching and learning does not necessarily match the enthusiasm of their advocates. The responses also revealed that students valued the opportunity to role-play, and that such activities motivated students to prepare most thoroughly for the tutorial. This finding might interest tertiary educators who view such activities as ‘child’s play’, or those wishing to add an engaging element to online learning activities.Sendziuk, Paulhttp://www.adelaide.edu.au/erga

Improving the feedback mechanism and student learning through a self-assessment activity

Effective and constructive teacher-provided feedback on formative and summative assessment tasks is central to student learning. Yet some teachers feel insufficiently motivated to provide such feedback, and teachers and students report that students are often more interested in simply discovering their grade than appreciating, or even reading, written comments on their assignments. This paper offers evidence that supports these observations and then reports the findings of a unique self-assessment activity that was designed to address these entwined problems with the feedback mechanism. The activity, based on the principles of Learning-Oriented Assessment, involved tutors providing written feedback, but withholding final grades, on assignments submitted by a cohort of 2nd and 3rd Year History students. Giving consideration to supplied assessment criteria and grade descriptors, and the feedback they received, the students were then required to award themselves a grade and write a 100-word justification, which was submitted to the tutor. Analysis of the grades awarded by the students and tutors, and an evaluation of the exercise administered by an anonymous and non-compulsory questionnaire, revealed a high degree of grade agreement, and that students became much more motivated to read and heed the feedback they received. Moreover, the students reported gaining a greater understanding of the assessment criteria, the work required to attain a particular grade, and the means for improving their written work.Paul Sendziukhttp://emedia.rmit.edu.au/atnassessment09

The art of AIDS prevention in Australia

http://enkidumagazine.com/eventos/aidsinculture/intro_e_2007.ht

Um modelo para outros paises? Confianca e parceria como pedras angulares da resposta da Australia ao VIH/sida

English chapter title: "A model for other countries": Trust and partnership the cornerstones of Australia's response to HIV/AIDS. English book title: AIDS Planet: Diversity, Policies and Social Responses.In contrast to many countries, Australia quickly developed a range of pragmatic and innovative measures to prevent the spread of HIV. Australian state and federal governments gave significant funding to gay and prostitute-based organizations to devise and deliver AIDS prevention programs and educational materials, and incorporated representatives of the most affected communities into advisory bodies. Adopting a ‘harm reduction’ approach, Australian governments and health authorities also developed a series of explicit education campaigns aimed at the general public and school children, and implemented needle and syringe exchange programs that became some of the most extensive and effective in the world.Paul Sendziu