Concentrating on affective feedforward in online tutoring

Abstract

With considerable input from the student voice, the paper centres on a detailed account of the experiences of Western academic, tutoring Eastern students online to develop their critical thinking skills. From their online experiences together as tutor and students, the writers present a considered case for the main emphasis in facilitative online tutoring to be on building, and then building upon, congruent relationships and constructive feedforward. Initially, the Western tutor had followed as best he could the norms of a Confucian Heritage Culture, concentrating reactively on instructional feedback. He then took the considered risk of reverting to proactivity, following the advice of Rogers and Vygotsky and according to an explicit rationale. The ensuing changes in students' online discussions and their learning experiences were marked and were objectively analysed. The tutor and two of his students suggest that the nature of congruent tutor/student relationships, irrespective of culture, is more significant in effectively promoting development than the cognitive content that might feature in feedback in such interactions. For it seems possible from the reported experiences that learning dependent on technological links may benefit from meaningful tutor/student relationships. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teslTzgVBsc&feature=youtu.be

Hong Kong Chinese university students’ conceptions of teacher care: a dialectical framework of care

“…This study has substantiated the centrality of affect in its interplay with cognition in promotion of students' positive cognitive and behavioural changes (Vygotsky, 1978;Moll, 1990;Goldstein, 1999;Chiu, 2009). These research results are supported by literature that suggests the importance of care and affect as expressed in the qualities of caring, nurturing, empathy, willingness to help, genuineness and trustworthiness in effecting positive changes within a relation-oriented Confucian culture (Bond, 1991;Fei, 1992;Hue, 2007;Chiu, 2009;Chen et al, 2014;Sun, 2015). Contrary to Noddings' (1984) discussion of reciprocity in ethical care, this research has unveiled a different result that students experience teacher care in the form of 'Pedagogical Care' focusing the attention on instructional qualities and academic support, despite minimum reciprocity on students' part.…”

“…Students who have been brought up in Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) are socialized from a young age to hold the conception that teachers assume moral role as a 'parent', behave within socially accepted ways, and have collectivist obligations toward students (Bond, 1991;Salili & Lai, 2003;Chiu, 2009;Sun, 2015). Students thus show reverence for and obedience to teachers, embrace social harmony and avoid conflict in a classroom environment, and value diligent study (Bond, 1991;Salili & Lai, 2003;Chiu, 2009;Chen et al, 2014;Sun, 2015). The teacher-student relationships are imbued with responsibility, respect, acceptance, warmth and affect and are conducive to learning, despite being hierarchical (Bond, 1991;Sun, 2015).…”

Promoting a Sense of Belonging in Online Learning Communities of Inquiry

“…Posts containing deeply reasoned thinking appeared, and polite but firmly reasoned disagreements led to genuine debate. Two students joined Cowan in writing up this transformation, using comparative data drawn from discussion board posts (Chen, Chou & Cowan, 2014). They were individually clear that the burgeoning of creative thinking and active discussion had arisen as a consequence of tutor-learner relationships in which the learners' affective needs were given explicit priority, with emphasis placed on promoting self-efficacy through personal feedforward (Cowan, 2015).…”

Benefits and drawbacks of computer‐based assessment and feedback systems: Student and educator perspectives

“…This study examines feedback to students, the important (Blair, Curtis, Goodwin & Shields, ) information that the outcomes of a task provides (Björkman, ). General feedback rather than specific types such as feedforward, focusing on improving future performance (Chen, Chou & Cowan, ), is examined.…”