Engaged feedback (UOW Assessment & Feedback Principle)

This principle in the suite of UOW Assessment & Feedback Principles advocates for a feedback process in which students can actively participate, as opposed to one in which they passively receive teacher-generated feedback, and builds on the principles of aligned and balanced assessment. Engaged feedback requires both formative and summative tasks (formal and informal) aligned to clear assessment criteria and learning activities.

Together, these principles support a cyclical process of learning, assessment, and feedback where students complete targeted activities to improve responses to future assessments tasks and build graduate-level knowledge and skill.

To support engaged feedback, assessment should:

1. Include feedback opportunities beyond written comments on formal assessment tasks
2. Incorporate peer-based reflection on assessment tasks before and after submission, and
3. Provide opportunities for ongoing assessment literacy development for use in future tasks and beyond graduation i.e., sustainable assessment. 

These features are explored in greater detail by Professor Chris Rust, below.

Why?

Designing for engaged feedback in all assessments serves to ensure assessment tasks capture learners’ actual capacity to demonstrate understanding and progress towards achievement of learning outcomes. When learners are supported to engage with and act upon feedback in multiple forms, future assessments are more likely to provide real opportunities for learners to improve. Additionally, engaged feedback promotes student autonomy and independent self-evaluation skills required to apply content in real-world situation i.e., sustainable assessment.

This principle of engaged feedback also helps achieve other UOW Assessment & Feedback Principles, particularly those of aligned assessment and balanced assessment.

How?

You are likely already using many strategies that support balanced assessment, regardless of assessment method, tradition or discipline. The following questions can help evaluate how both new and existing assessments could be strengthened by using engaged feedback.

Alternative Feedback

Are students provided with feedback beyond written comments to an assessment task?

Related Strategies:

• Map existing assessment tasks to learning experiences to ensure ample time for reflection.
• Review typical marking workflows and identify opportunities for alternative feedback using supported tools e.g., audio feedback via Turnitin.
• Consider where feedback or assistance may be provided to the whole student cohort using text, images or video delivered via your subject site (thus saving time).

Peer & Self-Reflection

Do students have opportunities to reflect on tasks, as a group and individually, before and after submission?

Related Strategies:

• Identify peer-review and self-reflection activities that your students enjoy participating in.
• Establish a sense of community and a growth mindset toward assessment within your group of students.
• Plan to include some element of assessment-related reflection in contact hours before and after submission.

Assessment Literacy

Do the feedback experiences provided to students help to develop the assessment skills required to improve in future tasks?

Related Strategies:

• Ensure assessment tasks, learning experiences and course and subject learning outcomes are aligned.
• Ask students what elements of assessments they find confusing or difficult before and after submission.
• Plan support resources and activities around elements of student concern as part of scheduled contact hours.