Humanising feedback encounters: a qualitative study of relational literacies for teachers engaging in technology-enhanced feedback

Abstract

Modes of feedback such as audio or video are thought to foster relationality because they humanise feedback encounters. Few studies have examined teacher feedback literacies for relationality. This knowledge gap is significant as students want to be seen by their teachers and for their teachers to express care within the feedback encounter. Teacher feedback literacies are the knowledges, skills and dispositions needed to enhance and sustain a student-centred feedback process. Using a qualitative approach, our research question centred on what teacher feedback literacies and strategies are required to implement relational technology-enhanced feedback. We interviewed 10 higher education teachers with diverse characteristics and identified three teacher literacies for relational technology-enhanced feedback: socio-affective facilitates an awareness to student attitudes toward feedback and teacher self-expression; design empowers a consciousness of the logical arrangement and purpose of feedback to better prepare and engage students; and communication reflects the construction of a deliberate, empathetic message. The implications are for higher education institutions and teachers to consider how the relational can enable the strengths of feedback that can better support and encourage students’ engagement with feedback.