Beyond the grade: Redefining feedback for students and staff in Psychology

Case study by Antara Basu.

What did you set out to do? 

NSS data, staff feedback and student SSCC reports show that assessment feedback given to students is not well understood or valued. The project began with discussions around important issues from staff and student perspectives allowing us to consider both sides.  

Our mixed-methods project explored the purpose, form and generation of assessment feedback on the BSc Psychology programme, focusing on Year 1-2 students.  

We consulted both undergraduate and postgraduate students alongside PGTAs through quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews and focus groups.  

We examined student confidence, skill development, formative and summative feedback opportunities, and PGTA training across modules.  

Similarly, we devised qualitative questions for undergraduates and PGTAs to stimulate discussion and allow in-depth, open answers on these themes. We also developed and evaluated an assessment preparation intervention.  

Student-led focus groups enabled us to incorporate a diverse range of student perspectives as well as to hear from PGTAs directly involved in marking and delivering feedback across a range of modules.  

What did you find out? 

Our initial analysis indicated that students lacked confidence and felt under-prepared for assessments, and they did not fully benefit from feedback. We devised, presented and analysed an intervention in an undergraduate module to explicitly improve feedback and assessment preparation; data from this analysis showed a significant improvement in student confidence following the intervention.  

Initial data from quantitative and qualitative methods was presented at the Education Conference in April and at the March and July Education Committees, with further dissemination under planning. 

ChangeMakers projects are intended to support students and staff working in partnership. How did this aspect of the project go? 

Student-staff partnership enabled us to tap into both student and staff perspectives on marking and feedback – allowing a more detailed understanding of our data.  

I think it was surprising how seamlessly and comfortably we were able to integrate student-staff partnership within our project by simply cultivating a respectful environment where everyone’s ideas were given due consideration. 

This also helped us to form questions relevant to topics that were important to both students and staff and also to make sure that they were posed in a non-leading manner. 

From a staff perspective, traditionally the typical educator-student relationship tends to put more emphasis and value on the educator’s views, however student insight and contributions were central to project success.  

Our student leads were able to provide clear and informed perspectives on the student experience that shaped how we approached the surveys and focus groups. The student-led qualitative research also improved communication and ensured that students were open about their experiences.  

What are your top learnings from the project? 

1. Specific assessment and feedback types are valued highly by students and shown to improve student confidence when implemented in an intervention; these are being discussed further at a departmental level to improve current practice. 

2. There were large disparities between assessment and feedback practices across modules, which influenced students’ perceptions, e.g., regarding labs and peer review.  

3. Student cohorts are keen to improve but there needs to be a mechanism to facilitate wider staff-student communication to make sure that expectations are aligned. 

What are you most proud of?  

Our project has already been discussed within the departmental strategic team to inform future assessments and feedback practices. We also organised an EP Away Day for all teaching staff and our initial analyses have been disseminated at the Education Committees, and the UCL Education Conference.  

The project is part of a wider ongoing audit of the BSc Psychology programme assessment and feedback practices and will be used to inform strategy for the Departmental Education Plan over the next few years. 

However, impact has already been demonstrated through a change in departmental practice to ensure feedback and assessment preparation resources were provided for each module before the recent term 3 assessment period.