Supervisor

Context:

In every subject area, learners need registering for the following semester on their actions and their level of performance. They can use this registering for the following semester to assess what they have already successfully learned and draw conclusions for their further learning process. Feedback is of great value to learners during and after learning phases as well as following learning outcomes.

Problem:

Often, registering for the following semester is not specific or constructive enough, so that learners are not able to derive new impulses for action from the comments on their work. The learner does not know what they need to work on and how they can improve. Feedback often lacks motivation and a positive outlook.

Solution:

Through well-reflected, individual feedback, learners can recognize their strengths and weaknesses and be motivated to further engage with a learning content and implement suggestions in relation to their working methods. With the help of feedback, learners revisit the learning content, draw their own conclusions and store this knowledge in their memory for the long term through the renewed, reflective learning process.

Find more detailed information in the handout: "Designing feedback" and get tips and suggestions for giving (online) feedback.

Tools for registering for the following semester

There are various ways of registering for the following semester to give students feedback on their individual learning process. In addition to simple email registering for the following semester, you can also use Moodle's chat or messaging function or offer an online consultation via a video conferencing platform.

Tools for mutual registering for the following semester

The results of exercises can be uploaded by students for checking in Moodle via the learning activity task (not visible to other students) or in the forum (visible to all) and commented on directly. You can also encourage students to give each other peer feedback. This works via the Moodle function Mutual assessment.

You can obtain live (synchronous) and asynchronous registering for the following semester as well as at the end of the semester via the teaching evaluation.

Use the built-in features in the Webex and BigBlueButton video conferencing systems, such as the chat or the reaction icons. Both feedback channels are not anonymous. For anonymous registering for the following semester, build a poll, e.g. in the form of a survey, into your digital seminar.

External Audience Response Systems (ARS) can also be used to obtain live feedback and activate students. Always pay attention to data protection. Do not ask any sensitive, personal questions. ARS are generally anonymous, which gives your students security and you may receive more and more honest feedback.

• With ars.particify (spin-off of TH Mittelhessen) you can start live surveys, live quizzes, scale questions, sorting questions and smiley quick surveys. At the same time, your students can also use this system to send questions and comments to you, the lecturer.
• Similar systems hosted by German universities are invote (TU Dresden) and Pingo (University of Paderborn ).
• ARSnovaRUB is interesting for engineering study programmes. As a license-free open source offer of the Ruhr University Bochum, LaTeX answers can be entered here. Use the installation of the TUB as a guest.
• The basic version of Mentimeter, offered by a Swedish company, is available free of charge. This visually appealing, intuitive tool offers the features of the aforementioned tools as well as the creation of word clouds and continuous scales.

The aforementioned ARS are primarily suitable for virtual live settings, but can also be used in asynchronous digital teaching.

Moodle offers the following activities for asynchronous, regular feedback:

• Feedback box:
  • This contains a visually appealing, fixed set of questions.
  • Here you will find a simple guide to the feedback box.
  • Give your students a quick introduction to the intuitive use of the feedback box. Use the video "Help shape! The feedback box".
• Feedback:
  • This offers you the opportunity to create your own survey and thus create questions specifically for your desired registering for the following semester.
• (Open) Forum:
  • In the Forum as well as the Open Forum, you can exchange ideas with your students and ask for registering for the following semester.
  • You can configure the settings for the Open Forum so that anonymous posts can be made and published. This could reduce students' inhibitions and encourage them to provide honest rather than socially desirable feedback.

• Interview with A. Brandt on the project: "COLLECTING DATA IN THE LESSONS - FEEDBACK FOR EVERYONE"
• Interview with Dr. J. Böllmann on the project: "LAMPENFIEBER ADE"

How can I conduct a seminar or meeting with a small group online?

Seminars in small groups or meetings with students, colleagues or external parties can be held online using video conferencing platforms. You can usually share your content via screen sharing or upload documents to be discussed (e.g. as PPT or PDF).

At BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, the IKMZ/MMZ offers free use of the video conferencing software BigBlueButton (directly via Moodle) or WebEx (licensed) via the Moodle learning platform or via direct dial-in.

Virtual group work is a relevant topic in many seminars. We have therefore compiled helpful aspects for supporting the design of group work processes that are conducive to learning and motivational factors that we would like to provide you with.

• PDF on the topic: "FACILITATING AND MOTIVATING DESIGN OF GROUP WORK"