Feedback in Higher and Professional Education (original) (raw)

Towards effective feedback in higher education: bridging theory and practice

Giving feedback is an important skill for lecturers in higher education and has a major influence on the quality of learning . However, it appears that, in its practical application, not all feedback is equally effective. This is a problem which applies to both students and lecturers. In working towards more effective feedback in higher education, Sadler's framework (1983, 1989, 2010) can prove a source of inspiration. Sadler posits three conditions for achieving effective and efficient feedback in classroom practice. The first condition refers to the necessity of drawing up assessment criteria and making sure students are familiar with them. The second condition posits that feedback has to include a comparison between the actual level of the product and the expected level. The last condition suggests that feedback has to include information that can help students to improve assignments. In this article we examine the various forms and conditions of feedback in more depth, with the emphasis on the practical application of theory. We also focus in detail on various aspects of how best to guide and supervise students that have been shown to have an important influence on making feedback more effective. Geyskens, J., Donche, V.

Feedback provision and use in teaching and learning: a case study

Education + Training, 2013

PurposeThe information a student receives after they have completed a piece of work is often known as “feedback” and this can be provided in a range of formats. Despite its importance, results of the National Students Survey in the UK consistently suggest that feedback is an area where significant improvements are needed across the higher education sector. The purpose here was to explore and advance a better understanding of the way feedback is given by lecturers as part of teaching and how students perceive and use it in their learning.Design/methology/approachIn all, three methods were used for data collection in 2010‐2011. First, semi‐structured interviews with 52 students helped to acquire a preliminary understanding of their feedback experiences. Second, a questionnaire completed by lecturers helped to identify their feedback provision methods. Third, a questionnaire completed by 194 students across all year groups helped to obtain their views about the usefulness of various me...

Feedback: ensuring that it leads to enhanced learning

The Clinical Teacher, 2015

Feedback involves much more than providing potentially useful information to learners about their work. The challenge is now on how to engage with learners in ways likely to result in discernable change and the nature of the conditions necessary to ensure that feedback discussions are likely to be acted upon. The main aspects of assessment and feedback drawn on here are those that focus on how assessment and feedback can contribute to the ongoing learning of students (and indeed all health professionals) and the need for feedback to actually influence what students do. Defining feedback Higher education programmes are more frequently criticised in student surveys for deficiencies in assessment and feedback than any other aspect. This has resulted in renewed interest in what feedback is and how it can work effectively. In particular, it has led to recognition that feedback in clinical settings, just like feedback in any other context, must be characterised not solely in terms of inputs that are made, but effects that result. The definition of feedback 1 in Box 1 highlights this change in thinking. Teachers, or others offering feedback information, can therefore only confirm that learning has resulted from information provided if students act on it, to complete a feedback loop. 2 Box 1: Definition of feedback '…a process whereby learners obtain information about their work in order to appreciate the similarities and differences between the appropriate standards for any given work, and the qualities of the work itself, in order to generate improved work.' 1

What is Effective Feedback? A Comparison of Views of Students and Academics

Journal of Education and Practice, 2021

In recent years the literature regarding feedback has flourished with many researchers exploring the various factors related to student feedback. Researchers have focussed on individual aspects of feedback, such as timing or quality, and mainly explored the views of students to develop ways to increase the student satisfaction. However, with relatively low scores still being achieved through the National Student Survey (NSS), the question 'why are students unhappy with feedback?' still remains. The purpose of this research was to explore the perception of academic staff and students regarding what is effective feedback? A total of 9 students and 10 academics participated for this study. Participants were randomly allocated to either one-to-one interviews or focus groups. All collected data was analysed to highlight common themes between academics and students. The data revealed many inconsistencies in the provision of feedback and highlighted that there is no single factor resulting in student dissatisfaction. Three specific action plans were developed to help address the many contributing factors to students' dissatisfaction with feedback. These action plans will then aim to have a beneficial influence on the student experience and their learning process.

Feedback on feedback practice: perceptions of students and academics

Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2015

While feedback is widely considered central to student learning, students across the higher education sector commonly report dissatisfaction with the feedback they receive. In contrast, academics often feel they provide quality and informative feedback. This article explores and compares the perceptions of students and academics with regard to feedback practice. The paper presents the results of questionnaire surveys conducted with academics and students at the School of the Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University. It highlights the perceptions of academics and students with regard to preferences for different types of feedback, timeliness of feedback, students' engagement and interest in feedback, quality feedback and satisfaction with current practice. The findings indicate a significant discord between staff and students in relation to certain aspects of feedback practice, namely opinions on students' engagement and interest in feedback, satisfaction with current practice and feedback preference. Similarities in viewpoints were also found in relation to quality feedback.

What makes for effective feedback: staff and student perspectives

Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2018

Since the early 2010s the literature has shifted to view feedback as a process that students do where they make sense of information about work they have done, and use it to improve the quality of their subsequent work. In this view, effective feedback needs to demonstrate effects. However, it is unclear if educators and students share this understanding of feedback. This paper reports a qualitative investigation of what educators and students think the purpose of feedback is, and what they think makes feedback effective. We administered a survey on feedback that was completed by 406 staff and 4514 students from two Australian universities. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on data from a sample of 323 staff with assessment responsibilities and 400 students. Staff and students largely thought the purpose of feedback was improvement. With respect to what makes feedback effective, staff mostly discussed feedback design matters like timing, modalities and connected tasks. In contrast, students mostly wrote that high-quality feedback comments make feedback effective-especially comments that are usable, detailed, considerate of affect and personalised to the student's own work. This study may assist researchers, educators and academic developers in refocusing their efforts in improving feedback.

Practising what we preach: towards a student-centred definition of feedback

Teaching in Higher Education, 2014

Students appear to have an almost insatiable appetite for receiving feedback and the scholarly literature has acknowledged its central importance for learning. And yet there is no widely accepted definition of feedback, most definitions reflecting the perspective of the teacher rather than student. When staff at the University of New South Wales who had put a lot of time into providing feedback nevertheless failed to score highly on the course satisfaction survey question on feedback, staff conjectured that their students might not recognize what they are providing as constituting feedback. A study was undertaken to find out just how students would define feedback. This article provides the background to the study, describes its design and presents the definition of feedback as conceptualised by the students, and then considers its significance.

Enhancing feedback for students

2016

How much feedback is enough for undergraduate students in medicine, dentistry and health science? Feedback is meant to provide students with sufficient information on their performance in a given activity so it guides their future performance in similar activities. Different models of feedback have been described in the literature, some more comprehensively than others, with formative assessment and reflective practice being the underlying themes for all of the models. Data gathered from the undergraduate courses of Medicine, Dentistry, Health Sciences and Podiatric Medicine raised awareness of the common issues related to insufficient and inadequate feedback for students about their performance. These findings shaped the development of five targeted pilot projects. The pilot projects looked at ways to improve verbal and written feedback through formal and informal mechanisms. This paper describes how one Faculty is approaching the difficult task of shifting the established culture of offering limited feedback to students and enabling students to ask for feedback that is appropriate and useful for them. In doing so it offers ideas for other Faculties wanting to enhance the feedback mechanisms for students.

Student feedback a critical component

Fundamental to any quality model implemented in higher education is the recognition and acceptance of the importance of collecting feedback from students about their study experiences. Supporting this acceptance is a significant body of research which shows a strong correlation between classroom environments, student learning and satisfaction. This paper describes how Monash University, a large Australian internationalised, multi-campus, research-intensive institution that is home to about 56,000 students from over 100 countries has developed a systematic approach to collecting student feedback and how such information provides an inroad to address barriers to learning.