<< back to list of Interactive Sessions

Fiona MacKinnon and Jackie Nicol (School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Care)

The SNMSC ran a pilot study using the TESTA (Transforming the Experience of Students through Assessment) methodology to evaluate assessment and feedback practice within the undergraduate nursing programmes. In response to the findings, working groups were formed to address the key priorities identified. This session features the work of the group which focused on student feedback.

Feedback is an important aspect of the student experience and is known to be valued by students. The project findings indicated that only 54% students agreed/strongly agreed that they received sufficient feedback on their work and 46.8% students could understand the feedback they received. The qualitative focus groups data further emphasised this dissatisfaction as students raised concerns about quality, quantity and consistency of the feedback they received. In response to this and the results of other evaluation such as the NSS a working group consisting of academic staff was established. The group included representation from undergraduate and post graduate programmes and from each field of practice.

The primary aim was to ensure that all feedback provided within the School is timely, consistent, fit for purpose and student focussed (Nicol and McFarland Dick 2006). The secondary aim was to provide a useful resource for staff/ module teams that would provide guidance and promote a high standard of feedback to encourage students to engage and act on this to enhance their learning.
Standards and guidance have been developed in draft form. An additional strand of this work is to develop a bank of comments to be used when marking on Grademark. Other areas linked to feedback include the development of study skills, increase in independent learning throughout the programme and the role of key staff including student academic services and PDT.

Consultation on the draft feedback standards and guidance across the SNM&SC will ensure that all teaching staff have the opportunity to contribute. Involving staff across all programmes within the school and students will aid buy in and support for the implementation of these guidelines. This is the starting point for the group with further work on the other areas highlighted above planned.
The presentation will share the process and outcomes of the TESTA feedback group to date.

The session will share examples from the TESTA data. Delegates will be invited to discuss their responses to the student voice in terms of feedback and their experience within LTA practice. Progress and outcomes of the work thus far will then be shared and discussed.

Theoretical underpinning
Hattie, J. (2009). ‘The black box of tertiary assessment: an impending revolution.’ In: Meyer, L.H. et al. (eds.), Tertiary Assessment & Higher Education Student Outcomes: Policy, Practice & Research. Wellington, New Zealand: Ako Aotearoa. pp.259-275.

Jessop, T., El-Hakim, Y. and Gibbs, G. (2014) The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: a large scale study of students learning in response to different programme assessment patterns. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. 39 (1) pp73-88.

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) pp199–218.