Abstract :
e-Assessment cannot benefit learners, and so education, unless it supports
them in doing something differently in future. What, however, are learners
trying to do better? This paper adopts a perspective in which learners simultaneously
self-regulate multiple variables that are relevant to learning, and
develops a theoretical argument that a key issue is the ambiguity of feedback
events (such as a failed task or a poor mark) as to which variable should be
adjusted. A common tacit assumption is that the relevant loop is about technical
expertise, but in reality, students must and do also adjust effort, learning
methods and course choices. Two methods for helping learners by resolving
this ambiguity are discussed: telling learners directly which interpretation
is relevant, and structuring learning activities to focus on one variable.
Which loops are most important to learners generally shifts in the transition
from school to university, implying that the role of feedback also changes.
e-Assessment needs a major rethink to address these needs, and to understand
why feedback is so often apparently ignored by students. Conversely, attending
to all these loops would be to open new dialogues with learners
