Quantity and quality of uptake: Examining surface and meaning-level feedback provided by peers and an instructor in a graduate research course
Date
2019-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
We examine the quantity and quality of uptake of surface-level and meaning-level feedback provided by peers and an instructor on writing assignments in an online graduate-level research course at a North American English-medium university. In this study, the instructor and peers (9 graduate students) endeavored to provide feedback that was timely, specific and embedded in writing (Wolsey, 2008). Students integrated this feedback on their writing assignments approximately 84.89% of the time, with the rate of uptake for instructor-provided feedback slightly higher than that of peer-provided feedback. This study also found that students addressed surface-level feedback focusing on writing mechanics, more frequently than meaning-level feedback, which focuses on argumentation, flow, and content. Overall, instructor surface-level feedback was most likely to be taken up, peer meaning-level feedback items was least likely. These results reveal the need for student training in the provision and uptake of feedback in online graduate contexts and beyond.
Description
Keywords
Formative Feedback, Graduate Studies, Peer Feedback, Instructor Feedback, Uptake, Graduate-level Writing
Citation
Dressler, R., Chu, M. W., Crossman, K., & Hilman, B. (2019). Quantity and quality of uptake: Examining surface and meaning-level feedback provided by peers and an instructor in a graduate research course. Assessing Writing, 39, 14-24.