STUDENTS’ FEEDBACK ON FEEDBACK. ENHANCING STUDENTS’ AND THEIR MARKERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF GOOD FEEDBACK

This paper discusses the University of Edinburgh’s ‘Feedback on feedback’ project which is focussed on developing online assessment workflows aimed at improving students’ and their markers’ understanding of high quality feedback.

As a direct result of the introduction of online learning technologies, the way in which we are managing the assessment lifecycles in higher education is undergoing a major change. One of the most noticeable aspects of it is the fact that most students prefer having their feedback available online rather than printed and handed to them (Pete Bridge and Rob Appleyard, "A comparison of electronic and paper-based assignment submission and feedback", 2008). However, this more convenient way of accessing returned feedback could be seen as only one of many areas where the introduction of technology into the assessment lifecycles might prove beneficial.

There are also other aspects of students’ reception of feedback which could benefit from the electronic management of assessment (EMA):
a) the feedback turnaround times,
b) the quality of feedback comments,
c) the feedback’s potential to be useful for subsequent assessments.

If one assumes that there is a strong link between student expectations of feedback and their satisfaction with the teaching and learning on a course, then how we choose to provide that feedback and present it as supportive of student development must be one of the most important issues for any University course. However, even if the feedback is of high quality, not all students are equipped with skills which would allow them to fully capitalise on it. Therefore, providing students with appropriate guidance and structure in order to support their interaction with feedback seems a worthwhile thing to do.

As part of the ‘Feedback on feedback’ project (to be piloted in Autumn of 2016) we developed a range of assessment workflows which allow students to submit their assignments online and thus engage in a richly structured dialogue about feedback and the students’ performance (the process is eventually concluded with a mark). The student-focussed online feedback templates are designed, distributed and collected using an e-portfolio type system (PebblePad). They range from the simple ‘Was the feedback helpful?’-type binary selections to the multi-layered pre and post-feedback self-evaluation sheets (designed in accordance with the common-marking schemes). Regardless of the complexity of the students’ feedback templates, the students are always required to reflect on feedback before any mark is revealed. The extra added benefit of using an online system is the ability to compile some of the students’ answers into statistical reports which can be used future planning or other institutional audit-related purposes.

This paper and the subsequent conference presentation will outline the details of the project’s key assumptions as well as the initial findings from its pilot run.