Feedback in the Context of Self-Assessment

• In Event: 67.037 - Instructional Feedback: Types, Contexts, and Recommendations

Abstract

In an instructional context, self-assessment is essentially feedback for oneself from oneself. This presentation will include an introduction of a taxonomy of self-assessment, an overview of current research that draws on a review of 52 recent studies, and suggestions for directions for future research.
The taxonomy of self-assessment in Table 1 comprises the what, why, and how of self-assessment. What is self-assessed can be one’s competence at some particular task (e.g., writing a persuasive essay), the processes in which one engages during the task (drafting, seeking feedback, revising), and/or the products of one’s work (the quality of the essay itself). Why one self-assesses depends on the purpose: Formative self-assessment serves the purposes of learning and performance enhancement, while summative self-assessment serves the purposes of accountability (albeit very poorly, more often than not). How one self-assesses depends on what and why, as in any form-fits-function relationship, and can be done in reference to standards and criteria, or not. The examples of particular forms of self-assessment included in Table 1 are illustrative but not exhaustive.

The overview of current research references 52 studies not included in earlier reviews (Brown, Andrade, & Chen, 2015; Brown & Harris, 2013; Panadero, Jonsson, & Botella, 2017). Of those, 30 were inquiries into the consistency of students’ self-assessments with others’ judgments (e.g., a test score or teacher’s grade). Sixteen studies investigated the relationship between self-assessment and achievement. Ten explored students’ perceptions of self-assessment. Eight studies focused on the association between self-assessment and self-regulated learning. The sum (n = 64) of the list of research topics is more than 52 because several studies had multiple foci. Because studies of the consistency of students’ self-assessments with others’ judgments do not, by their nature, have relevance to instructional feedback, this presentation will focus on research on the relationships between self-assessment, achievement, and self-regulated learning (SRL). In broad stroke, research suggests that self-assessment is positively associated with achievement and SRL, under the right conditions.
The nuances of the right conditions for effective self-assessment in an instructional context are in need of further inquiry. A case will be made for investigations of the influence of types of standards or criteria, and for ground-breaking research on the cognitive and affective mechanisms of self-assessment.

Author

• Heidi L. Andrade, University at Albany - SUNY