Development and evaluation of two interventions to improve students’ reflection on feedback

Abstract

National student surveys reveal that feedback is an aspect of the education experience with which students are less satisfied. One method to increase student engagement with their written feedback and to improve feedback literacy is promotion of critical self-reflection on the feedback content. We describe two interventions aimed at improving students’ reflective practices with their feedback. In a School of Psychology at a UK research-intensive university, we designed, implemented and evaluated two interventions to improve students’ reflection on, and engagement with, their feedback. The first intervention was a feedback seminar, which comprised a modified version of the Developing Engagement with Feedback Toolkit, adapted for our context and online delivery. The second intervention was an interactive assessment coversheet that was designed to promote self-reflection and dialogical feedback practices between student and marker. We provide a summary of the development of these interventions and share evaluations of both components. Overall, our evaluation demonstrated that these interventions can be a useful opportunity for students to engage with their feedback practices and develop feedback literacy. However, variability in student experiences and inconsistencies across markers, despite these interventions, were barriers to success. We contextualise this with our own reflections and end with recommendations for educators.