Other Outcomes

The study brought to light a number of other issues surrounding feedback that were outside the scope of the study and may merit further investigation:

1. Students assigned greater value to feedback by tutors they felt also demonstrated respect for the students' work, their time and their commitment to learning (Rowe & Wood, 2007).
2. Although students expressed a preference for as much feedback as possible, including the option to go over their feedback verbally with the marker, students were realistic about the time constraints that tutors are under and recognised the value in discussing feedback with others including peers, friends, parents and work colleagues.
3. The timing of releasing feedback and grades to students and the availability of tutors to discuss any misunderstandings or misconceptions around that feedback, for example the release of feedback late on Fridays or immediately prior to university holidays.
4. Logistical issues when accessing feedback that had been returned online in audio format, and differing preferences for audio or written feedback.
5. A mismatch between reflection and action planning as part of students' courses and professional practice and approach to reflection on their feedback.
6. Students expressed difficulty in feeding forward comments made on their work to future assignments or between modules when, for example, the curriculum design bunched the assessments towards the end of the module, or where the feedback was subject-laden in context.
7. Students were more likely to seek further clarification or support on their feedback where the feedback was transferable between assignments, where they received the repeated feedback across several assignments (e.g. referencing problems) or where the grade was lower than desired/expected.

References