Do students and staff agree on what the purpose of feedback is?
Generally, yes they do. And, on the whole, the purpose of feedback is considered to be to help students to improve. That’s got to be a good thing.
Do students and staff agree on what makes feedback effective?
Again, generally, yes, but with some differences in emphasis which the authors acknowledge may be due to differing needs and perspectives between the groups. The emphasis for staff was on the form of feedback whereas the student emphasis was on content. Perhaps unsurprising given the responsibilities and interests in giving or receiving feedback.
But wait … there is a difference exposed in this cross-institutional survey of perceptions of feedback in Australian Universities. This paper by Phil Dawson and colleagues poses a broader initial question about whether recent shifts in the concept of feedback have been taken up within those who practice or receive it. They suggest that their findings may point to a bigger difference in the perceptions of purposes and effectiveness of feedback between the researchers themselves and all study participants (staff and students). A salient message for program evaluators and researchers alike!
Reference:
Phillip Dawson, Michael Henderson, Paige Mahoney, Michael Phillips, Tracii Ryan, David Boud & Elizabeth Molloy (2018): What makes for effective feedback: staff and student perspectives, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/02602938.2018.1467877