Annie Bryan
Assistant Professor in Academic Development. Diverse experience supporting teaching, learning and research in Higher Education. Background in Applied Linguistics.
Location UK
Activity
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Annie Bryan replied to Ian Rennie
Great to hear, @IanRennie - good luck with implementing these approaches in your own practice. Thank you for your participation in the course!
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Thanks for your thoughts on the case studies @NicolaSabry. It's great that you are making connections between F2F and online contexts, and considering how the approaches that are showcased could be applied in your discipline.
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That's good to hear @AnnaM - these maps can be a useful way of visualising students' assessment journeys-I think educators are often surprised by the outcomes..!
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Annie Bryan replied to Anna M
"Mingling"...such a great word! Glad to hear that worked well for your students, @AnnaM - it sounds like your approach would help them to create a sense of community.
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Annie Bryan replied to Manish Khanal
Thanks for sharing @ManishKhanal ! Why do you think MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) work well for this purpose?
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Annie Bryan replied to Shanta Rayamajhi Basnet
Great to have you on board @ShantaRayamajhiBasnet :)
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Annie Bryan replied to Joanne Creaser
Welcome to the course @JoanneCreaser !
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Ah, that's great to hear that you have reached out to Edumundo @MartinCooke - they will be pleased to hear from you! And good that you found a case study around "feedforward"- I noticed that you flagged this concept in one of your earlier comments.
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Annie Bryan replied to Martin Cooke
Glad you're still with us @MartinCooke ..! It's been great to see all your comments and active participation in this course so far.
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Annie Bryan replied to Paul Steven Donaldson
@PaulStevenDonaldson there's a lot to weigh up, for sure! Thanks for sharing, it is always interesting to get insights into the practicalities (challenges!) in different disciplines/contexts.
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Wow, thank you for your positive comments @PaulStevenDonaldson - I am so pleased that you have enjoyed the experience. Thanks for your active participation throughout the two weeks!
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@PaulStevenDonaldson A frustrating experience! As you mentioned in a comment on one of the earlier steps, I agree that thinking back to our own time as students can help to inform our practice now that we are educators. Even if that means recalling examples of what *not* to do!
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I especially like your wording for #2!
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Annie Bryan replied to Paul Steven Donaldson
A wide range of assessment types, @PaulStevenDonaldson - and good to see you making comparisons to posts by other learners. Why would it not be possible to test anonymously in your discipline? I can see that this would be a challenge for speaking exercises, but imagine it could work for reading, writing and listening. Interested in your thoughts on this!
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Annie Bryan replied to Sanjay Thube
Great to feel your excitement @SanjayThube ! Welcome to the course :)
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Thanks for sharing examples of the tools that you found useful. Copyright issues can be a challenge, especially if working with students in a variety of countries- and the same goes for use of online tools. Have you experimented with Open Educational Resources (OER)? It sounds like these may be useful for you. e.g. https://www.oercommons.org/
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Interesting points @PaulStevenDonaldson . I'm thinking about how free short courses (such as those offered on FutureLearn!) fit into this. Do you feel that the quality assurance mechanisms in place at your institution need to be different for blended learning?
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Annie Bryan replied to Lisa Garratt
That sounds really fun, @LisaGarratt - letting your personality shine through, and encouraging your students to do the same :)
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Annie Bryan replied to Fisnik Aliaj
Ah, to feel 18 again...! That has made my day @FisnikAliaj :)
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Thank you @SmritiVishwakarma for your comments, I am pleased to hear that you found some inspiration from the new paradigm..! Best of luck with putting it into practice.
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Annie Bryan replied to Yuly Alvear
Fantastic! So please to hear that it prompted some useful reflections for you, @YulyAlvear. Thank you for joining us on this course.
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Great to see you taking some inspiration for your own practice @PilarDelgado !
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Nice to see you drawing on the perspectives of other learners @RekhaTrivedi !
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Glad you liked the tool @YulyAlvear - why not try using it with your own students? It is free, and easy to use :)
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Annie Bryan replied to Fisnik Aliaj
Loving this conversation! I am a fan of onomastics. My name is derived from the Hebrew word for "grace"! Welcome to the course @FisnikAliaj
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Annie Bryan replied to Smriti Vishwakarma
A warm welcome to you, @SmritiVishwakarma !
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Annie Bryan replied to Roy Emurotu
I think it's common for educators to be applying these theories without necessarily realising @RoyEmurotu ;) I'm glad you have enhanced your understanding of the approaches you have been taking with your students.
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Annie Bryan replied to Cameron Hills
I think the size of the group can make a big difference, too @CameronHills - nice that you can get to know your students!
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Annie Bryan replied to Montse G.
Welcome to the course @MontseG. ! Lovely to hear about your role and what you do with your free time. We are exciting to have you join us from Mexico!
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Annie Bryan replied to Roy Emurotu
Great to have you here @RoyEmurotu :)
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I agree @EmilyStewart-Reed , it can be a challenge in practice to provide feedback "on the spot". I know that some students prefer a bit of time and space to "recover" from doing the assessed task before they receive feedback. Of course, much depends on the format that the feedback takes- written, verbal, and so on.
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That is good to hear @EmilyStewart-Reed - and important that students are made aware of this process.
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Very true, @TafheemSaniya - it is helpful to enable students to engage with the feedback, and not just the grade! Interesting that you create rubrics with your students- what advice do you have for others who might want to try this approach?
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You have made some great contributions @AngelaStandish and I'm glad the case studies were useful to you, as well as the use of padlet. Thank you for your comments and suggestions!
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Great to see that you recognise how the potential for the practices captured in these case studies to be applied in different subject areas, @AngelaStandish - and, again, your understanding of the value of "real world" assessments.
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I like your thoughts around authentic assessment @AngelaStandish - ensuring that assessments align with students' professional aspirations. How do you do this in your own context?
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Annie Bryan replied to Angela Standish
Indeed, covid has had a big impact on assessment practices for many @AngelaStandish ! Great to hear that you're interested in CA- I hope this week of the course will give you some further insights into this.
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Annie Bryan replied to Maribel Armendariz
Great that you are determined to continue developing as a teacher @MaribelArmendariz - and that you are taking inspiration from your classmates!
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Annie Bryan replied to Tafheem Saniya
Saskatoon! I am loving the range of destinations on our course. Welcome, @TafheemSaniya :)
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Go for it @MaribelArmendariz ! Video can provide a really engaging and personalised medium for interaction between staff and students, both in terms of an assessment format and as a means of giving feedback.
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Annie Bryan replied to Maribel Armendariz
Glad to hear that you have been inspired @MaribelArmendariz ! There is always new technology to experiment with and to keep your students engaged in their learning :)
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That sounds really promising @MaribelArmendariz for when you do start your formal teaching- you have a clear understanding of the benefits of this approach!
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Annie Bryan replied to Emily Stewart-Reed
Great to hear that you are making explicit links to the workplace in your assessments @EmilyStewart-Reed ! What do you think your students gain from this approach?
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Thank you for your active participation @KristinaElyseButke and I am glad that the course has given you plenty to think about going forward!
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You chose well @AislingReast ;) It's not always easy to find examples of how academic misconduct has been effectively tackled- but Alex Simmonds explains clearly in his case study how he took a "prevention not cure" strategy with his students!
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Great to hear your example of using this technology to give feedback @DiegoCalderónAcebey !
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Annie Bryan replied to L T
Well said @LT . It's worth pointing out that the new paradigm isn't intended to completely replace the new one but to build on it, as your comments nicely reflect :)
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Annie Bryan replied to L T
Great to hear that a more contemporary approach is taken in your context @LT - and with a variety of different assessment types!
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Annie Bryan replied to Diego Calderón Acebey
I'm sure you're not alone @DiegoCalderónAcebey ! What country are you based in?
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Ah, it's great to hear that you found this term useful- amongst other things! I enjoyed reading your contributions @ThurayyaAbuSaleh
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I like the way that you have identified areas for improvement for Feedback Example 2, @ThurayyaAbuSaleh. There is much that it does right, but using specific examples/sources could potentially strengthen it further. The poor handwriting in Example 1 can sometime be such a distraction in this exercise that Example 2 is not necessarily critiqued in its own right!
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That's a good choice of word @ThurayyaAbuSaleh- "familiarized". Ensuring the students have the opportunity to practice via formative activities for summative tasks can be really valuable. You are right that responding to students' attainment data can help to steer us in terms where to concentrate our efforts in this regard!
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Well, I feel I should comment on this one :) Love the way you have made connections between your experiences as a student and a teacher @EmilyStewart-Reed
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Annie Bryan replied to Molly Campbell
I'm really pleased to hear that your confidence has grown @MollyCampbell - as your active participation in this course demonstrates!
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I couldn't agree more, @EmilyStewart-Reed - it should the pedagogy that drives our approach, rather than using tech for the sake of it.
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Annie Bryan replied to Molly Campbell
It's useful to highlight the quotes that particularly resonated with you @MollyCampbell - and your reactions!
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I agree @MollyCampbell - finding time for these things can be a challenge! Have you thought about scope to run generic feedback sessions, in which you offer your students tips on common strengths and weaknesses of submissions, based on the work of previous cohorts? This can be an efficient way to address these issues with the whole group.
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Annie Bryan replied to Herman Zhang
Thank you @HermanZhang for your active involvement in the course! It is always useful to hear what people have gained from taking part, and I am pleased that you have found things that you can include in your practice going forward. Good luck!
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Annie Bryan replied to Emily Stewart-Reed
Ideal pet- that sound like fun! Interesting that you say "depending on the cohort"- I agree that it's important to tailor our approach to the different groups of students that we work with @EmilyStewart-Reed . (Mine would be a golden retriever, by the way!)
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Annie Bryan replied to Mark Kempee Viernes
Thank you @MarkKempeeViernes for your active participation in this course- I am pleased that it will inform your teaching practice!
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Annie Bryan replied to Seonaid Boyd
Great to hear that this course aligns with much of your current practice @SeonaidBoyd - and that you enjoyed the activities and the case studies!
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Nice example of how you involve your students in peer assessment activities @MarkKempeeViernes ! Does this work well for them?
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Glad you liked the videos @SharolSeroka ! Your passion for supporting students really comes across in your comments :) I hope that your dreams come true!
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Annie Bryan replied to Sharol Seroka
Love your idea that feedback needs to be something that can be responded to, @SharolSeroka !
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So you feel that feedback needs to be engaging for students, and help them to improve in future @HermanZhang ? I would agree that these are two very important aspects! What would this kind of feedback "look like", in your view?
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I agree @SeonaidBoyd- and giving students the chance to act as markers can help them to engage with the guidelines and to develop their judgement skills.
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Annie Bryan replied to Seonaid Boyd
Yes, @SeonaidBoyd, using anonymised examples from previous students (with their permission) is a common approach. Some tutors create their own examples which can be used for this purpose. Please check with your institution to find out what would work best in your context.
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Annie Bryan replied to Herman Zhang
@HermanZhang Absolutely- and we will explore these approaches further during this short course :)
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Annie Bryan replied to Herman Zhang
Thanks for your thoughts @HermanZhang- I agree that both teachers and learners can benefit from assessment. But is examination the only way to assess?
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That's good to hear @ChristopherJohnOrongan ! What specifically do you think makes your feedback effective for your students?
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Comprehensive reflections, @ChristopherJohnOrongan ! Thank you for sharing all your great ideas :)
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Annie Bryan replied to Esteffi Urenda
You are in the right place @EsteffiUrenda ! Welcome to the course :)
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Annie Bryan replied to alex ilersic
@alexilersic thank you so much for taking the time to share these detailed comments. It is great to get your insights into what worked well, and what you will do as a result of taking part. We thank you for your active participation and your thoughtful comments across the two weeks!
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I am pleased to hear that the short course format was effective for you @NweNweHlaing and it has been great to have your input throughout!
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Ah, thank YOU @HeshamMohammed - it is especially positive to hear that you plan to share what you have learned with others! Good luck with putting the ideas into action.
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Thank you @HeshamMohammed , it is great to read your summaries and see what you are planning to apply as a result of these case studies.
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Inspired- that is what we like to hear!
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That sound very positive @NweNweHlaing - giving students the opportunity to reflect on their own work is an important aspect of developing their judgement skills.
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Annie Bryan replied to alex ilersic
It's tricky, isn't it?! Handwritten is not necessarily a bad thing (in fact, it can give the feedback a more personalised feel)- but we need to be mindful that different styles may not always be easy for students to read. As you say, though, switching to typing is a fairly simple change- and it's great that your feedback is detailed and well received by...
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It will be interesteing to see how that "sustainable" feeback opportunity works out!
I have had a similar experience with only small numbers of students taking up the opportunity for a 1:1 discussion; however, I agree that these can lead to positive outcomes- and also help to promote the "dialogue" idea as per the new paradigm. -
That is very true @NweNweHlaing and it is important that we factor in the time that this requires when planning the design and delivery of our teaching.
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This all sounds very comprehensive @alexilersic and a supportive approach to giving your students feedback. I was going to ask "how is your feedback generally received by your students?"- but I can see that you have commented on this in Step 2.12 :)
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Interesting! What do you think students gain from assessing each other? How do they tend to find this experience?
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Annie Bryan replied to Nwe Nwe Hlaing
It sounds like having a variety of assessment types is important to you @NweNweHlaing - why do you think this is useful for your students?
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Annie Bryan replied to alex ilersic
Thank you for sharing your practice @alexilersic - lots of good practice here, but it is great that you have reflected to identify some other actions that you could take next time around.
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Agree @alexilersic - opportunities for students to discuss the mark scheme, and previous examples of student work, go a long way towards creating this understanding, rather than just issuing them with a document that they might not read!
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Thank you for your useful summaries @NweNweHlaing . What might you take away from these case studies to apply to your own practice?
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This is good to hear @alexilersic ! If you are interested in getting student involved in assessment design then you might like to check out the work of Cathy Bovill and colleagues on this topic.
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Ah, you got to meet Edward Di Bono..?! I have to ask...was he wearing a hat? (I remember his work on the metaphorical different coloured hats!). That's interesting to hear you compare the two countries; last month, I was talking to a colleague who is now working in the UK, but was educated in Italy. She shared a bit about the pros and cons of each system (at...
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Annie Bryan replied to alex ilersic
Interesting to hear about how the theme of anxiety resonated with you @alexilersic. Great to learn about how you managed this and I agree that keeping things light with some humour can be hugely effective, as you also mentioned in your previous post.
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Annie Bryan replied to alex ilersic
Thanks for sharing your background @alexilersic and please do continue with the course when it suits you!
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Annie Bryan replied to alex ilersic
Welcome @alexilersic ! We are still here, just checking the course from time to time now- but new starters are always welcome :)
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Good to hear that you found some inspiration here @HeshamMohammed ! Do you work with culturally diverse groups of students?
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Have you found any difficulties with using social media with your students @HeshamMohammed ?
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Annie Bryan replied to Fernando Santacruz
Interesting! Why do you think they don't take it very seriously? Do you think they are worried about giving low marks to their peers? There are some useful research studies on the dynamics involved in peer assessment...
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Annie Bryan replied to Fernando Santacruz
Agree @FernandoSantacruz , ongoing assessment can be very beneficial as a means to help to students to improve as they learn. How do you do this with your own students? What variety of assessment tasks do you use?
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Annie Bryan replied to Fernando Santacruz
What does "hybrid" teaching look like for you @FernandoSantacruz ? This has different meanings for different people, it seems!
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Annie Bryan replied to Hesham Mohammed
Useful summary, thank you. And what do you tend to do in your teaching, @HeshamMohammed ?
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Annie Bryan replied to Nida Ashraf
Getting students to introduce each other is a lovely idea @NidaAshraf !
