Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

• H. Taghipour
• E. Jafari
• M. Rezaeizadeh

Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Feedback is one of the most important factors in predicting, promoting, and improving the learning process, and its effective presentation, especially in virtual education management systems, requires the use of precise scientific and practical solutions. Feedback in virtual environments not only affects students’ learning, but also can increase the level of motivation, interaction, and self-regulation of the learners. However, challenges such as learners' inattention to feedback, lack of emotional and educational interactions, and lack of personalization of feedback have reduced its effectiveness in e-learning systems. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify and examine effective feedback solutions in virtual education management systems.
Methods: This research is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of methodology with a thematic analysis approach. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview, and the framework of interview questions was developed based on an initial conceptual model, which was extracted based on theoretical foundations. The data were organized and analyzed in three stages (basic themes, organizing themes, and overarching themes) using MaxQDA software. After extracting the concepts, they were classified into components and categories.The population of the present study consisted of all experts in the fields of information technology management and e-learning. The research sample consisted of 10 of these experts who were selected based on a purposive and criterion-based sampling method. The inclusion criteria for sampling included education in related fields (such as information technology management and information technology engineering) and practical experience in designing and working with virtual education management systems. The interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached; This means that after interviewing 10 people, no new codes were identified compared to previous interviews. This point was considered as the theoretical saturation point, which indicates the adequacy of sample diversity. In order to validate the findings, the member check method and Cohen's Kappa index were used. Two interviews were randomly selected and the coded concepts were presented to the participants for confirmation. Also, the level of agreement between the two coders was calculated based on Cohen's Kappa index, which was 0.78, indicating high coding validity.
Findings: The research findings showed that effective feedback solutions in virtual learning management systems were classified into 52 subcomponents, 11 components, and 3 main categories. These categories included educational, implementation, and technical solutions, each of which played an important role in improving the quality of feedback in e-learning. Technical solutions included such concepts as visualizing feedback, diversifying assessment technologies, using diverse feedback sources, automating the feedback process, and utilizing natural language processing tools that help optimize the quality of feedback in virtual learning environments. Educational solutions emphasized feedback management, providing personalized feedback, diversifying assessment methods, and optimizing resource and content management to increase learner engagement and understanding of the feedback received. Also, implementation solutions included using continuous data to improve feedback processes, analyzing feedback accurately, and tracking feedback provided to learners, which played an important role in increasing the effectiveness of educational feedback.
Conclusion: In addition to the educational field, those involved in virtual learning management systems should use a variety of solutions in the technical and administrative dimensions to provide effective feedback. In the educational field, personalizing feedback and using modern assessment methods are essential; in the technical field, utilizing new technologies, artificial intelligence, and automating feedback is important; and in the administrative field, continuous data analysis and feedback tracking should be considered. Therefore, a one-dimensional approach to feedback is not efficient, and to achieve the desired effectiveness, all these dimensions must be considered simultaneously.

Keywords

• Virtual Learning
• Virtual Learning Management System
• Educational Feedback

Main Subjects

• Electronic learning- virtual