Overcoming constraints to giving supportive real-time feedback on authentic tasks in a HE teaching improvement course

Abstract

Use of authentic tasks as the basis for assessment-feedback, and the delivery of feedback with minimised time delays, are considered important components in the design of training courses for optimal support of formative improvement of complex tasks. To develop Higher Education (HE) teaching competencies, actual classroom teaching is considered the best authentic task for feedback. However, authentic tasks and real-time feedback may be infeasible due to resource constraints on both training staff provision/availability and teaching opportunities for Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). Therefore, curriculum designers must resort to alternative design strategies that mirror classroom teaching to facilitate feedback delivery to successfully achieve course learning outcomes. We discuss a case of a GTA training programme where about half of the trainees anticipated teaching duties. Though authentic experiences for real-time feedback appeared viable, this percentage was severely reduced in practice. Of those, only around 3% voluntarily requested tutors to observe their classes to receive real-time feedback. Despite the lack of authentic assessment, we report on how this course for prospective teachers meets course outcomes as well as participants’ expectation by providing real-time assessment-feedback for trainees with and without teaching duties. A pre-course questionnaire survey revealed that 33% of trainees expressed their greatest desired outcome of the course as becoming “good” or “effective” teachers. The remainder described their desired outcome to be learning about or improving on some specific aspect of teaching such as active learning and communication skills. With authentic assessment provided to only 3% of the students, we discuss how this challenge was overcome through the design and delivery of simulated course activities and assessment tasks that succeeded in providing real-time feedback. These activities included formative and summative micro-teachings, teaching observation and reflective essay writing. We further elaborate on our efforts to scaffold and develop the attitudes and beliefs of GTAs on the process of becoming a “good teacher” such as demonstrating the importance of assessment through the use of constructive alignment. Sharing our strategies, experiences and underpinning design pedagogies would benefit HE skill development programmes, as such constraints on training staff and teaching opportunities for GTAs are widely encountered.