Module 6: Reading 2

Cybercoaching: Rubrics, Feedback, and Metacognition, Oh My! Peterson, Naomi Jeffrey. (2004). Paper presented at E. C. Moore Symposium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Indiana University. February 25, 2005.

In Cybercoaching: Rubrics, Feedback, and Metacognition, Oh My! the author encourages readers to use email and online tools as instruments for feedback and for assessment. The author also maintains that the introduction of complex problems, familiar technology, and formative and summative assessment together improves student performance and self-regulation. There are interesting discussions of coaching, and rubrics as the coaches’ tool for feedback. What was most interesting to me, however, was the section calling for increased research on formative assessment. Peterson states that most studies have used survey research centered on student opinion. The result of a study by Peat and Franklin (2003) show that students believe there is value in formative assessment, but “there was no significant difference in summative assessment outcomes based on their use.” In my teaching experience, I have observed likewise, and strongly agree with Peterson that more study is needed. “Student characteristics” in addition to assessment techniques, course content, and tasks is an essential variable to be included.