Supervisor: Mohammadreza Farrokhnia
Feedback is a cornerstone of effective learning and has been shown to influence students' academic success, motivation, and self-regulation. According to Hattie and Timperley's (2007) feedback model, effective feedback should answer three key questions: Where am I going? (Feed Up), How am I going? (Feed Back), What next? (Feed Forward). Moreover, effective feedback should be actionable, clear, timely, and aligned with students’ learning needs (Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006). Despite this, university students often report dissatisfaction with feedback, referring to issues such as vagueness, delays, and misalignment with their expectations (e.g., Deeley et al., 2019; Mulliner & Tucker, 2017; Robinson et al., 2013).
At the University of Twente (UT), the increasing diversity in teaching methods and class sizes presents additional challenges in delivering effective feedback. Current feedback practices may face challenges such as increasing student-to-teacher ratios, varied methods of feedback delivery, and a lack of standardization. Understanding how students perceive feedback practices—both their strengths and limitations—is essential to address these challenges.
By integrating student insights with theoretical frameworks, this internship aims to propose practical, evidence-based strategies to enhance feedback practices at UT and improve the overall learning experience of students.
METHOD
A mixed-methods approach is recommended to capture both the breadth and depth of students’ feedback experiences:
1. Quantitative phase
Aim: Measure the perceived efficiency of feedback.
Participants: A representative sample of UT students across various faculties and levels (It could be limited solely to students at the BMS faculty, particular programs, and/or courses)
Data collection instrument: An online questionnaire adapted from existing validated scales on feedback perceptions and quality.
Example research questions:
- How do students rate the overall efficiency and clarity of feedback provided at the UT?
- Which factors (e.g., speed, level of detail, mode of delivery) most strongly predict student satisfaction with feedback?
2. Qualitative phase
Aim: Obtain in-depth insights into the subjective experiences, challenges, and suggestions for improving feedback practices.
Participants: A subset of survey respondents selected to represent diverse academic programs and levels (It could be limited solely to students at the BMS faculty, particular programs, and/or courses).
Data collection methods: Semi-structured interviews or focus groups exploring perceptions, emotional responses to feedback, and improvement ideas.
Example Research Questions:
1. What aspects of current feedback practices do students find most helpful or unhelpful?
3. Proposing theory-driven solutions
Aim: Integrate findings with existing theories (e.g., formative assessment frameworks) to propose evidence-based interventions.
Approach:
- Use survey and interview data to identify key strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in current feedback practices
- Map these insights onto theoretical models to design practical recommendations or pilot interventions (e.g., guidelines for timely feedback, rubrics that foster feed-forward, digital platforms to streamline communication)
- Present a refined feedback model or toolkit for the UT stakeholders (faculty, instructional designers, administrators).
REFERENCES
Deeley, S. J., Fischbacher-Smith, M., Karadzhov, D., & Koristashevskaya, E. (2019). Exploring the “wicked” problem of student dissatisfaction with assessment and feedback in higher education. Higher Education Pedagogies, 4(1), 385-405.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of educational research, 77(1), 81-112.
Mulliner, E., & Tucker, M. (2017). Feedback on feedback practice: perceptions of students and academics. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 42(2), 266-288.
Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane‐Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in higher education, 31(2), 199-218.
Robinson, S., Pope, D., & Holyoak, L. (2013). Can we meet their expectations? Experiences and perceptions of feedback in first year undergraduate students. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(3), 260-272.