Improving Feedback to Students

Feedback is a key theme of the University’s Learning and Teaching Enhancement Strategy and staff are encouraged to consider it in all aspects of their teaching. It should be noted that LTES key themes are used as criteria when considering University teaching awards and funding.

Recent student satisfaction survey results have highlighted the issue of feedback to students in many ‘research-led’ institutions. Students comment that the feedback they have received has sometimes been unhelpful, too little and too late. However, teachers can feel frustrated when students fail to use the feedback they are given and continue to make the same mistakes over again. It can feel a thankless task if students don’t consider the feedback comments that their teachers have spent considerable amounts of time producing for them. This workshop therefore aims to address the two questions: what does excellent feedback look like? How do we encourage students to make full use of feedback to enhance their learning and achievement? After the session participants will be able to:

  • Consider how feedback can support learning
  • Review the principle features of effective feedback
  • Describe the varied purposes and foci for feedback
  • Consider how to improve the delivery of feedback from a practical perspective
  • Discuss a range of strategies that encourage students to make fuller use of the feedback they receive

Level 1: for any teaching staff including post-graduate research student supervisors.

Presented by: Kate Exley