The Impact of Choice in Learning
Reference:
Murphy, J., Farrell, K., & Myers, J. (2024). Student choice in online asynchronous higher education courses. In Proceedings of the [Conference Name if known]. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3760213.3708894
Annotation:
The article explores how offering students choices in online asynchronous higher education courses enhances engagement, autonomy, and relevance. Drawing from theories like constructivism, self-determination, and andragogy, the authors argue that allowing flexibility in content, process, and product supports deeper learning and motivation. A pilot study with undergraduate and graduate students found that choice particularly strengthened connections to career goals, encouraged authentic learning experiences, and increased satisfaction. The findings suggest that structured opportunities for choice can transform courses into learner-centered environments that foster agency, self-regulation, and practical application.
Murphy, Farrell, and Myers (2024) does a good job of clearly connecting theory to practice by showing how student choice can improve engagement in online learning. The use of a pilot study with both undergraduates and graduate students gives it a practical angle that helps support the claims, even if the sample size is modest. The mix of quantitative survey results and qualitative student feedback adds depth and makes the findings feel more grounded. Overall, the article is well organized and easy to follow, making complex ideas accessible without being overly technical.
The ideas in this article translate well into workplace training and curriculum design because they highlight the importance of giving adults meaningful choices in how they learn. In professional settings, employees bring diverse experiences, learning preferences, and career goals, so offering flexibility in content, process, and product can make training more relevant and motivating. The emphasis on autonomy and authentic application resonates strongly with adult learning in the workplace, where practical connections often matter more than abstract theory. This approach supports consultants and trainers in creating programs that not only build skills but also encourage ownership, engagement, and long-term growth.
Perception drives Interpretation of Feedback
Reference:
Newman, D. (2025). Examining the emotional tone of student evaluations of teaching. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 51(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.21432/CJLT-28695
Annotation:
How does perception affect feedback? Newman (2025) analyzed 600 student-written evaluations from Rate My Professors (2018–2023) to determine the emotional tone of the language used. Students feedback was reviewed using indicators such as pleasantries and words with positive connotations using Whissell’s Dictionary of Affectionate (DOA). The study found that students provided feedback to instructors in the evaluations that were emotionally neutral in tone however, the instructors perceived the tone to be overly critical on average.
The study’s strengths lie in the reliability of the tools used, like the DOA, and the simplicity of how the study is measured. The correlations are easy to understand and the study itself and its methods are easy enough to understand that replication can be completed with ease. Newman (2025) also provided adequate acknowledgements to the limitations of the information reviewed such as sampling bias, word count variability, and the constraints of publicly available online data.
In the context of organizational performance management, this article underscores the value of distinguishing emotional perception from objective data. Similar to how faculty may overinterpret student comments as overly negative, employees and managers often perceive performance evaluations as more emotionally charged than they actually are. For consultants, the findings point to the importance of designing evaluation systems that emphasize neutrality and balance. By integrating structured training on how to give and receive feedback, organizations can foster a shared understanding that feedback is a tool for growth rather than criticism. Embedding “feedback literacy” into workplace practices not only reduces defensiveness and bias but also equips both leaders and staff with the skills to interpret evaluations constructively. This approach supports the development of resilient, evidence-based performance systems that encourage trust, reduce anxiety, and create a culture where feedback is seen as an essential driver of individual and organizational improvement.