Georgina Fyfe

Students Reflecting on Test Performance and Feedback: An On-Line Approach.

Undergraduate students accessing on-line tests in Human Biology in three Western Australian universities were asked to complete an on-line post-test reflective survey about their perceptions of their test performance in light of automated feedback. The survey allowed pre-determined choices and comment text boxes relating to students’ perceptions of their performance, self-identified areas of difficulty and suggested strategies for improving test performance. One-third of students undertaking on-line tests responded to the optional survey, and 60% of respondents thought reflecting on feedback was useful. Students reflecting on formative rather than summative assessment reported a more strategic approach to testing, often using it to assess their knowledge and prepare for future assessment. Their reflections were more internally focused on motivation and preparation compared with those assessed summatively. Respondents were more likely to be female, older, more experienced learners who had scored well in the test. Younger respondents expected higher scores than they achieved and were less likely to reflect, but, when they did, were more likely to select pre-determined reasons for their performance and less likely to suggest strategies for improvement. These results support formal training and scaffolded integration of reflection into on-line assessment feedback, especially for less experienced learners.

The superficial musculoaponeurotic system of the face: a model explored.

Regional differences in the integument of the body are explained, at least in part, by differences in fascial arrangements. In the face, where the skin is more mobile due to the action of the underlying facial muscles, fascial organisation is important for support and separation of muscle groups. This study used bequeathed cadaver material to investigate a current model of the SMAS proposed by Macchi et al., the original boundaries of which were explored and extended using both histology and gross dissection. As a clearly identifiable structure spanning the lateral and midface, the SMAS in the specimen supported the model proposed by Macchi et al. The three main findings that support the model were the layered morphological appearance of the SMAS, its progression from fibrous to aponeurotic in a lateral to medial direction, and the enveloping of the zygomaticus musculature. Extension beyond the proposed model into the temporal region was observed, but nasal and forehead regions showed no evidence of SMAS, while its presence in the cervical platysma region remained inconclusive. Fascial and soft tissue variability was considerable within facial regions of the examined specimen, helping to explain the debate around the SMAS in the literature.