Transforming student expectations through a real-time feedback process and the introduction of concepts of self-efficacy - surprising results of a university-wide experiment

A core indicator of success at University is the grade a student achieves following a period of study. A student’s ability to achieve expected grades is often understood in terms of learning and study processes that the student is capable of, chooses to adopt, or masters. However, psychology tells us that our selfefficacy is a major determinant of how we select activities, how much effort we expend on them, and how long we sustain effort. The importance of self-efficacy in supporting a student’s study choices, effort and sustainability – and hence in the student’s capacity for success – is clear. Providing students with an understanding of the role of self-efficacy provides a transformative moment in the student’s growth as a university student. This paper examines the effectiveness of a specific method, point-of-contact feedback, in lifting students’ awareness of self-efficacy. The ability of the survey to support student metacognition through a social persuasion design, particularly for students originally targeting lower grades, demonstrates that point-of-contact feedback can assist students to improve their awareness and understanding of a learning concept. The outcome of this one-off survey is a demonstrated transformation of student expectations regarding their grades and the way they intend to engage their studies.