Suggestions, Corrections, or Critical Questions? Which Type of Feedback Contributes to Better Writing in a Collaborative Online Learning Environment?

• In Event: Harnessing Technology to Aid Assessment

Abstract

This study aimed to answer which type of teacher and peer feedback best contributes to improving collaborative writing performance in online learning environments, based on written and asynchronous communication.
A sample of 141 undergraduate students were randomly distributed in 8 conditions, taking into account the type of feedback (corrective, epistemic, suggestive and combined feedback –epistemic + suggestive), and the sender (teacher and peers).
Results revelead that epistemic feedback is the type of feedback that better contributed to students’ writing performance, which is a feedback that requests students for explanations and clarifications in a critical way about what they write. Moreover, peer feedback significantly improved students’ collaborative writing performance. Educational implications for Higher Education are discussed in the proposal.

Authors

• Teresa Guasch, Open University of Catalonia

• Anna Espasa, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

• Ibis Alvarez, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

• Paul A. Kirschner, Open University of the Netherlands