Maxine Gillway

“Balancing language and content: impact and implications of feedback givers' beliefs”

This keynote will address the conference theme of integrating language and content through a focus on the role of feedback in assessment for learning. As 'potentially the most powerful part of the assessment cycle' (O'Donovan, 2015:1), it is important that we are aware of our own beliefs about feedback and how we put them into practice. I will present some preliminary results from research into a range of feedback givers' beliefs and the impact these have on the focus of their feedback. I will draw out implications for Continuing Professional Development and EAP course design.

About Maxine:

I have worked in EAP for 23 years and in ELT for 33. I thank Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey for 5 years of wonderful professional development opportunities, which allowed me to specialise in EAP Curriculum and Assessment. During my 6 years at United Arab Emirates University, I moved from working on the English curriculum to coordinating the development of the whole first year experience – working with teachers of English, maths, computer studies and Arabic. In 2008, I joined the University of Bristol as a co-ordinator for the science pathway of the International Foundation Programme.  I have since worked with academics across the university in designing courses in Academic Language and Literacy for a range of subject areas. I currently teach on a course with Bristo      l Centre for Functional Nanoscience. I am now Director of the Centre for English Language and Foundation Studies, Chair of BALEAP 2016-19, Senior Fellow of BALEAP and the UK Higher Education Authority, and a EdD student at the University of Bath with a particular interest in feedback givers beliefs.