Student feedback analytics: Determining students’ assessment feedback preferences for personal analytics solutions

About

This project was designed to investigate student preferences for the delivery of assessment feedback to improve their learning. In a mass and expanding higher education system we are seeing more participation of students from diverse backgrounds. However, students have routinely said they don't get enough access to staff and feedback to support their learning. While this feedback loop is a recognised critical issue in higher education, the increasing use of technology as part of teaching and learning could provide some solutions to this problem. The emerging field of learning analytics has potential to provide mechanisms for reducing some of the concerns students have about receiving feedback. The main outcomes of this project will be clearer evidence of what students want when it comes to analytics-based feedback and guidelines for how such feedback can be designed and delivered in higher education.

Aim

The project investigated the types, format and timing of assessment feedback as it relates to personal analytics. By personal analytics we refer to information that is customised and delivered to the student about their own performance. While previous studies have tended to collect students’ views on feedback provision at a single point in the semester through the use of focus groups, surveys and/or interviews, this research adopts a longitudinal approach. Students were interviewed at four points throughout the semester to gauge what assessment feedback would be useful at particular points of time and in relation to particular forms of assessment. In addition to providing perspectives on feedback through interviews, participants were asked to help develop visualisations of feedback for their personal context.

Funding

Support for this 2015-2017 project was provided by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training.

Researchers

  • Dr Linda Corrin, Principal researcher
  • Dr Paula de Barba, Researcher
  • Professor Gregor Kennedy, Mentor

Outcomes

Conference paper

Corrin, L., & de Barba, P. (2017). Understanding students’ views on feedback to inform the development of technology-supported feedback systems. In Proceedings of the 2017 ASCILITE annual conference – Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education. http://2017conference.ascilite.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Concise-CORRIN.pdf

Webinar

Corrin, L., & de Barba, P. (2017, November). Students’ assessment feedback preferences in higher education. In Transforming assessment webinar. Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education. https://transformingassessment.com/events_1_november_2017.php

More information

Dr Linda Corrin,  Honorary,  Melbourne Graduate School of Education