Technology bridging the middle earth between pedagogy and feedback

Abstract

Within the typical teaching and learning model in university settings, the orthodox way of providing feedback tends to be through assignments and exams. It enables evaluative, summative feedback about students’ level of learning and functions primarily as a measurement and accountability tool (Vardi, 2012). In contrast, this paper presents an alternative view of assessment that suggests that technology can be the ‘servant’ of good pedagogy by deliberately and purposively enhancing feedback opportunities from not only the teacher to student but also, from student to teacher. The project we report on in this paper is part of institution-wide initiatives in a large Faculty of Education, to promote the use of technology alongside a move to the use of large interactive teaching spaces capable of seating 70+ students. Four of us as lecturers have supported one another to develop a professional learning community (Alton-Lee, 2003), and to document our evolving pedagogical practices. We are committed to retaining and practicing powerful teacher education pedagogy whilst being early adopters of technology innovations. In this paper we discuss some of the ways that we have used mobile technologies to facilitate open communication between lecturers and students to make feedback about learning visible to all. We have harnessed technology to give and receive feedback and in so doing we have made rich learning an integral part of our everyday practice.