Expectations and use of feedback in first year university: improving student and educator outcomes with FRAMEwork

A common student perception of feedback in higher education is that it is often lacking in detail, usability, and timeliness; however, many staff members resent the lack of investment students place in engaging with, or even collecting, feedback on work. Despite increasing recognition of the role of feedback in student learning and course satisfaction, few studies have sought to contrast student and academic perspectives of feedback in a discipline to identify reasons why inconsistencies between student and staff perceptions occur. Similarly, few comprehensive feedback interventions have been devised to improve both staff and student engagement in the feedback process. The research reported in this thesis seeks to address these deficits, beginning with a comprehensive exploration of engagement with feedback at a tertiary level. Two exploratory studies were conducted initially to identify key similarities and differences in the conceptualization, use and preference for feedback observed amongst staff and students in the Discipline of Psychology at RMIT University, following a detailed survey of their feedback practices. Within this Discipline, 202 first year undergraduate students (Study 1) and 25 staff members (Study 2) were surveyed regarding their preferences and engagement with feedback in the tertiary setting. Results indicated that there were several key differences in the way students and staff conceptualize and utilize feedback, suggesting that these differences may account for dissatisfaction with the feedback process. In addition, an emphasis on summative feedback and an embedded perception of feedback as a passive linear process were discovered amongst staff and students. Following these studies, a semester-long intervention intended to improve student and staff engagement and satisfaction with feedback was devised and implemented. The basis for this intervention was the FRAMEwork manual (a comprehensive guide to shaping feedback as an interactive dialogue between staff and students) that was designed based on the observations and recommendations of Study 1 and Study 2. An experimental design was used to evaluate the FRAMEwork manual using 90 first year undergraduates enrolled in Psychology at RMIT University (Study 3). Preliminary analyses of the intervention outcomes were promising, particularly in regard to enhancing feedback utility and student academic performance; however, further modifications and replications are required. In particular, it is recommended that the FRAMEwork program be delivered across the length of a program rather than within a single course.<br>