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Feedback plays a central role in learning. Crucial to this is the nature and timing of the feedback. A number of studies have advocated for immediate feedback having the greater potential to influence learning outcomes. However, alternative studies have challenged this and highlighted that delayed feedback is perhaps preferable, especially when calling for more in-depth cognitive processing. This experimental study explores these two types within a Virtual Reality (VR) environment designed to facilitate the development of pre-university students' presentation skills.Participants were divided across two feedback conditions: immediate and delayed. Results showed that students in both groups made significant development in all presentation criteria across the two-week programme. Further, students perceived the environment to be an effective and motivating platform in which to practise their presentation skills. These findings are crucial as educators seek viable alternatives to provide for and enhance learning beyond the traditional confines of the classroom.

Active learning is considered by many academics as an important and effective learning strategy. Assessment is integrated in learning as a tool for learning, but traditional assessment methods often encourage surface learning (passive learning) rather than deep learning (active learning). Peer assessment is a method of motivating students, involving students discussing, marking and providing feedback on other students' work, and is one of the successful approaches which can be used to enhance deep learning. Students are required to think critically about what they are learning during the peer assessment process. Tutors' marking is usually accepted as reliable, but student peers' marking in a peer assessment process is suspect. As part of a study investigating whether peer assessment can be an accurate assessment method in a computer programming course, a novel web-based peer assessment tool has been developed. In this paper, we describe the tool and report the results of evaluating the tool through experiments involving large programming classes. The results suggest that computermediated peer assessment is a valuable assessment approach which promotes active learning and is an accurate assessment method in a programming course.