Exploring and utilising students' perspectives on feedback: a mixed

method, longitudinal approach

Kara Peterson, Simon Croker, Dr. Peter Hills and Dr. Rachel

Manning

Importance of Feedback

Feedback on my work has helped me to clarify things I did not understand.

I have received detailed comments on my work.

Feedback on my work has been prompt.

Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course.

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

71%

75%

71%

92%

2013 NSS results for Anglia Ruskin University psychology students

Project Timeline January 2013 Beginning of research

February 2013 Conduct pilot focus

groups

March – May 2013 Phase 1 focus

groups and online survey

June – October 2013 Feeding forward on

perceptions of feedback

November 2013 – February 2014 Phase 2 focus groups and online

survey

March – April 2014 Evaluation of Project

Methodology

Methodology

Phase 1 Survey Findings

Overall Time to Get Feedback

Amount of Feedback

Codes Talking with Lecturers

Helping for Future

Usefulness of Feedback

Positive Feedback

Negative Feedback

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Aspects of Feedback

Satis

facti

on L

evel

Figure 1. Satisfaction levels with different aspects of feedback

Key Themes

Convenience

Continuing Dialogue

Consistency

Convenience

I think it should be easier to actually collect your essay.

Yeah, I mean, it’s a bit difficult when you don’t know when to collect your work.

I never bother going to pick up my [feedback].... when you go there you’re waiting in a queue to pick it up in a room…

Continuing Dialogue

Yeah I think [feedback] should be a lot more one on one…

I think that [feedback] is helpful in a way but at the same time it just

tells you what you’ve done wrong not where

you can improve… there are some people who don’t go to see the

lecturers erm about their grades and stuff and

then they keep making the same mistakes over and

over again…

Consistency

[Feedback] is quite mixed, like you either get three pages full of

things that you could’ve done better or you get a little blank box and something and sort of a few

little hand annotations on the thing..

[Feedback] should be standardised but obviously

because of the topic it might vary what comments we’ll get written

but I think if there was like a standard procedure for each topic

then it might be a bit clearer…

Communication

Consistency

Convenience

Continuing

Dialogue

Changes ImplementedThese are the things you did well:

• • •

You could do the following things to improve your work in future:

• • •

Interactive Coursework Feedback and Reflection Sheet

Structural Changes

Phase 2 Findings

GradeMark

Reflection Sheet

Positive Comments

Phase 2 Findings

Not enough guidance

Communication of new systems

Departmental consistency

Recommendations

Faculty

Department

Advisory Group Student Reps

Student Body

Recommendations

ConclusionJanuary 2013 Beginning of

researchFebruary 2013

Conduct pilot focus groups

March – May 2013 Phase 1

focus groups and online surveyJune – October

2013 Feeding forward on

perceptions of feedbackNovember 2013 –

February 2014 Phase 2 focus groups and online

surveyMarch – April 2014 Evaluation of Project

April 2014 – OnwardsOngoing Project