Student perceptions of the ‘best’ feedback practices: An evaluation of student-led teaching award nominations at a higher education institution

Authors

  • Tom Lowe The University of Winchester
  • Cassie Shaw The University of Winchester

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.7.2.8

Keywords:

Student Engagement, Students as Partners, SOTL, Educational Development, Technology Enhanced Learning

Abstract

There is great emphasis in contemporary higher education to address the seemingly consistent issue of what students perceive to be good assessment feedback practice. Improving this aspect of the student experience continues to elude higher education institutions, as reflected in the nationally lower than average scores in the United Kingdom’s annual National Student Survey questions on prompt feedback, which makes this a timely area for further investigation and discussion. To investigate student perceptions of feedback, this article examines the qualitative data from three years of student-led teaching awards nominations at the University of Winchester for the category "Best Lecturer for Constructive and Efficient Feedback." From this study, new revelations with regard to the student perception of the “best” lecturers’ feedback practices have come to light, including terminology, language, and emphasis on email turnaround, rather than the actual format of the feedback itself (such as handwritten, audio, e-submission). Key findings include that students focus on the quality of the linguistic elements of feedback rather than the mode of delivery. The study also finds that students are often perceiving feedback in a literal sense, with many staff nominated based on their informal email responses rather than the formal assignment feedback often attributed to this question in the National Student Survey. In order to tease out the repetitive emerging themes for which practices students are perceiving to be “good” feedback, this article outlines the findings of this study, including the methodology and nomination process of the student-led teaching awards at the University of Winchester.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biographies

Tom Lowe, The University of Winchester

Tom Lowe is the Centre for Student Engagement Manager at the University of Winchester and a National Committee Member for RAISE. Formally, Tom was the project manager of the HEFCE funded REACT project, where he facilitated collaborative development between 15 UK HE institutions around Student Engagement with Educational Developments. Previously, Tom was Vice President, Education at Winchester Student Union. 

Cassie Shaw, The University of Winchester

Cassie Shaw is the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Officer at the University of Winchester. Cassie previously worked as the Research Officer (Student Engagement) at the University, where she directed the Student Fellows Scheme. Alongside this she worked on the HEFCE funded REACT Project as a researcher and conducted the systematic literature review of ‘hard to reach’ students. Before this she was the Student Engagement Assistant at Winchester Student Union, coordinating the Student Academic Representatives.  Cassie is currently undertaking a PhD in English Literature and Philosophy.

References

Arthur, L. (2009). From performativity to professionalism: Lecturers responses to student feedback. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(4), 441-454. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510903050228.

Askew, S., & Lodge, C. (2000). Gifts, ping-pong and loops: Linking feedback and learning. In S. Askew (Ed.), Feedback for learning (pp. 1-17) London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Ball, S. J. (2003). The teacher’s soul and the terrors of performativity. Journal of Education Policy, 18(2), 215-228. https://doi.org/10.1080/0268093022000043065.

Beaumont, C., O’Doherty, M., & Shannon, L. (2011). Reconceptualising assessment feedback: a key to improving student learning? Studies in Higher Education, 36(6), 671-687. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075071003731135.

Bennett, R., & Kane, S. (2014). Students’ interpretations of the meanings of questionnaire items in the National Student Survey. Quality in Higher Education, 20(2), 129-164. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2014.924786.

Boud, D., & Molloy, E. (2013). Rethinking models of feedback for learning: The challenge of design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(6), 698-712. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2012.691462.

Bovill, C. (2017). Maintaining criticality: Attempts to stop an unacceptable proportion of students from feeling alienated. The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 3(1), 14-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.21100/jeipc.v3i1.681.

Bryson, C. (2015). Researching, advancing and inspiring student engagement (RAISE). In J. Lea (Ed.), Enhancing learning and teaching in higher education: Engaging with the dimensions of practice (pp. 163-165). Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Bunce, L., Baird, A., & Jones, S.E. (2017). The student-as-consumer approach in higher education and its effects on academic performance. Studies in Higher Education, 42(11), 1958-1978. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1127908.

Debuse, J.C.W., & Lawley, M. (2016). Benefits and drawbacks of computer‐based assessment and feedback systems: Student and educator perspectives. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(2), 294-301. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12232.

El Hakim, Y. (2017). Where next for student engagement? Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 3(1), 90-92. http://dx.doi.org/10.21100/jeipc.v3i1.648.

Ferguson, P. (2011). Student perceptions of quality feedback in teacher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(1), 51-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930903197883.

Gillett, A., & Hammond, A. (2009). Mapping the maze of assessment: An investigation into practice. Active Learning in Higher Education, 10(2), 120-137. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787409104786.

GuildHE (2015). Making student engagement a reality: Turning theory into practice. Retrieved from https://www.guildhe.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/6472-Guild-HE-Student-Engagement-Report-36pp.pdf.

Harland, T., McLean, A., Wass, R., Miller, E., & Sim, K. N. (2015). An assessment arms race and its fallout: High-stakes grading and the case for slow scholarship. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(4), 528-541. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2014.931927.

Higher Education Academy. (2018). Student led teaching awards. Retrieved from http://www.studentledteachingawards.org.uk/history-of-the-project/.

Ingham, D. (2016). An answer from research to the Teaching Excellence Framework–student engagement and graduate engagement to evidence legacy. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, 1(1), 1-22. Retrieved from https://journals.studentengagement.org.uk/index.php/raise/article/view/377/336.

Jessop, T., El Hakim, Y., & Gibbs, G. (2014). TESTA in 2014: A way of thinking about assessment and feedback. Educational Developments, 15(2), 21-24. Retrieved from https://www.seda.ac.uk/resources/files/publications_187_Ed%20Devs%2015.2%20FINAL.pdf.

Jessop, T., & Maleckar, B. (2016). The influence of disciplinary assessment patterns on student learning: A comparative study. Studies in Higher Education, 41(4), 696-711. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.943170.

Lackner, C., & Martini, T. (2017). Helping university students succeed at employment interviews: The role of self-reflection in e-portfolios. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 5(2), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.5.2.2.

Lea, J. (Ed.) (2015). Enhancing learning and teaching in higher education: Engaging with the dimensions of practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Levy, P., Little, S., & Whelan, N. (2011). Perspectives on staff-student partnerships in learning, research, and educational enhancement. In S. Little (Ed), Staff-student partnerships in higher education (pp. 1-15). London: Continuum.

Lowe, T., & Dunne, E. (2017). Setting the scene for the REACT programme: Aims, challenges and the way ahead. Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 3(1), 24-39. http://dx.doi.org/10.21100/jeipc.v3i1.678.

Lowe, T., Shaw, C., Sims, S., King, S., & Paddison, A. (2017). The development of contemporary student engagement practices at the University of Winchester. International Journal of Students as Partners, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v1i1.3082.

Madriaga, M., & Morley, K. (2016). Awarding teaching excellence: “What is it supposed to achieve?” Teaching in Higher Education, 21(2), 166-174. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2015.1136277.

Merry, S., Price, M., Carless, D., & Taras, M. (2013). Conclusion and reflections. In S. Merry (Ed.) Reconceptualising feedback in higher education: Developing dialogue with students. (pp. 204-210). London: Routledge.

National Student Survey. (2017). About the NSS. Retrieved from http://www.thestudentsurvey.com/about.php.

National Union of Students. (2008). NUS student experience report. Retrieved from http://www.nus.org.uk/PageFiles/4017/NUS_StudentExperienceReport.pdf

Nicol, D. (2010). From monologue to dialogue: Improving written feedback processes in mass higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(5), 501-517. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602931003786559.

Quality Assurance Agency. (2012). UK quality code for higher education. Part B: Assuring and enhancing academic quality. Chapter B5: Student engagement. Retrieved from https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/chapter-b5_-student engagement.pdf?sfvrsn=cd01f781_8.

Shaw, C., & Lowe, T. (2017) The student participation map: A tool to map student participations, engagements, opportunities and extra-curricular activities across a higher education institution.’ Dialogue: Journal of Learning and Teaching, 1, 45-50. ISSN 23399-701X. Retrieved from: https://issuu.com/solentuniversity/docs/dialogue_2016-17

Swain, J. (2012) Scoping the landscape: An audit of student led teaching awards project provision across the UK. London: Higher Education Academy and National Union of Students. Retrieved from http://www.studentledteachingawards.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/SLTA-landscape-report.pdf.

Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (2019). Retrieved from https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/teaching/what-is-the-tef/.

Williams, J. (2014). Student feedback on the experience of higher education: A significant component of institutional research data. In M.E. Menon, D. G. Terkla, & P. Gibbs (Eds.), Using data to improve higher education: research, policy and practice (pp. 67-80). Rotterdam: Sense.

Winstone, N.E., Nash, R.A., Rowntree, J., & Parker, M. (2017). “It’d be useful, but I wouldn’t use it”: Barriers to university students’ feedback seeking and recipience. Studies in Higher Education, 42(11), 2026-2041. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1130032.

Downloads

Published

2019-09-16

How to Cite

Lowe, Tom, and Cassie Shaw. 2019. “Student Perceptions of the ‘best’ Feedback Practices: An Evaluation of Student-Led Teaching Award Nominations at a Higher Education Institution”. Teaching and Learning Inquiry 7 (2):121-35. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.7.2.8.