In class, our main discussion focused on providing feedback, which I really appreciated because the importance of feedback is often talked about but is rarely conceptualized as more than just a term. With a general overview of different types of feedback and how these approaches may be helpful in a variety of different scenarios, I feel that the overarching question “How do we give feedback before the stakes are high?” was adequately answered. In the university setting, this type of feedback is often provided in the seminar-like discussions most classrooms engage in, and, for many, this is enough for a professor to understand where most in a room stand on a topic. I appreciated working in smaller groups, like we did in previous weeks to set up larger discussions, but the “turn and talk” and its applications in younger demographic settings also became clear.
I think that Bradford’s discussion on education versus training and the overarching concept of transfer played well with our discussions of assessment and feedback. The concepts of transfer we have been focusing on fit into the philosophies of education, not those of training, as “the belief that it is better to “educate” people than simply “train” them to perform particular tasks” is essential to all of the topics we have discussed (Bradford, 51). The fact that Bradford recognizes the different learning styles of all people, I feel, is essential, as teaching cannot be just a blanket lesson with the expectation that everyone will take the same things from it. With that in mind, I feel that his highlighting of processing, feedback, and learning- versus performance-oriented learners is crucial for instructors to understand how to approach the classroom.
The concepts about transfer that I found most intriguing from this chapter were the links that were made to initial learning and its connection to previous knowledge, which has also been a common subject in class. While it wasn’t surprising to see that misconceptions and conceptual understanding can block successful transfer or that prior knowledge is also connected to a learner’s social role and culture, I was surprised about the connection to collaborative, tool-based, contextual reasoning and its connection to transfer. That is not due to my lack of understanding of such transfers, but due my understanding of the United States public school system and, through my experience, their disregard for such learning experiences. It is only in my late years of university that such learning environments have been provided. So, does this mean that to enhance transfer in students that U.S. education should begin shifting to such foci? Aren’t other cultures’ education systems focused more in this way? How do their education benchmarks compare? Should the United States be taking a lesson from them?
Raven K 
I really like your framing of the assessment question in terms of how high the stakes are. I hadn’t thought of it like that, that students are more likely to benefit from feedback when the stakes are lower and they can reasonably respond to suggestions for improvement. It makes me wonder why we don’t see direct conferencing between teachers and students more. Parent-teacher conferences are common to discuss a student’s strengths, weaknesses, and progress–how come one rarely (if ever) hears of student-teacher conferences? I’m sure there’s a maturity level below which the student may not be able to usefully deal with that, but surely students can benefit from direct, general feedback earlier than we tend to provide it.
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I appreciated the emphasis on high stakes feedback as well. I think we don’t hear about teacher student conferences because the way traditional schooling is set up is that feedback is given through the form of grading. Teachers respond to students through comments they leave on their tests, papers, quizzes, blog posts, etc. What’s unfortunately rare is when you have a verbal check-in with a teacher. I only remember a handful of teachers having meetings with each student throughout the semester to go over their progress in the course–but I do remember really appreciating those check-ins. I think if teachers had a bit more cushion time with everything they have to teach in a single trimester or semester they would have more time and be more inclined to do one on one meetings with students. Time is key for well-developed feedback.
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