GodisOmetre – providing feedback on student learning

Abstract

In the Bologna process, the use of explicit learning goals and formative assessment are central elements in improving student learning. Ideally, formative assessment provides feedback to the student about how his present state relates to the learning goals and enables him to reflect on and regulate his learning. However, we found that it was easier said than done – not just to carry out, but in particular to make students realize the importance of learning goals and formative assessment for their learning process.

The GodisOmetre is an attempt to motivate students to become self-regulated learners and to encourage and facilitate reflection. It is a way to make more explicit to students our detailed learning goals and reward also the “good processes” that lead to those goals and not just the “good results” in themselves. Processes and results are defined, as are their reward value and a public score chart is kept – and in the end the earned value is paid out.

In this paper, we describe the GodisOmetre and the didactic ideas and philosophy behind it. We also discuss the lessons learned through two years of use and how it has been improved through trial-and-error and feedback from the students.