Feedback Literacy Research Articles

Using AI‐supported peer review to enhance feedback literacy: An investigation of students' revision of feedback on peers' essays

AbstractAs a vital learning activity in second language (L2) writing classrooms, peer feedback plays a crucial role in improving students' writing skills. However, student reviewers face challenges in providing impactful feedback on peers' essays. Low‐quality peer reviews emerge as a persistent problem, adversely affecting the learning effect of peer feedback. To enhance students' peer feedback provision, this study introduces EvaluMate, an AI‐supported peer review system, which incorporates a chatbot named Eva, designed to evaluate and provide feedback on student reviewers' comments on peers' essays. Forty‐four Chinese undergraduate students engaged with EvaluMate, utilising its features to generate feedback on peers' English argumentative essays. Chat log data capturing the students' interactions with the chatbot were collected, including the comments they wrote on peer essays and the feedback offered by the chatbot on their comments. The results indicate that the integration of AI supervision improved the quality of students' peer reviews. Students employed various strategies during their comment revision in response to AI feedback, such as introducing new points, adding details, and providing illustrative examples, which helped improve their comment quality. These findings shed light on the benefits of AI‐supported peer review systems in empowering students to provide more valuable feedback on peers' written work. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Scholars have extensively investigated diverse pedagogical strategies to enhance students' peer feedback provision skills in second language (L2) writing classrooms. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have been utilised to monitor and evaluate the peer feedback generated by student reviewers. AI‐enabled peer feedback evaluation tools have demonstrated the ability to provide valid assessments of student reviewers' peer feedback. What this paper adds In the context of L2 writing, there is a lack of bespoke AI‐enabled peer feedback evaluation tools. To address this gap, we have developed an AI‐supported peer review system, EvaluMate, which incorporates a large language model‐based chatbot named Eva. Eva is designed to provide feedback on L2 students' comments on their peers' writing. While previous studies have primarily focused on assessing the validity of AI‐enabled peer feedback evaluation tools, little is known about how students incorporate AI support into improving their peer review comments. To bridge this gap, our study examines not only whether using the system (EvaluMate) can enhance the quality of L2 students' peer review comments but also how students respond to Eva's feedback when revising their comments. Implications for practice and/or policy The development of the AI‐supported peer review system (EvaluMate) introduces an innovative pedagogical approach for L2 writing teachers to train and enhance their students' peer feedback provision skills. Integrating AI supervision into L2 students' peer feedback generation improves the quality of comments provided by student reviewers on their peers' writing. Students employ various strategies when revising their comments in response to Eva's feedback, and these strategies result in varying degrees of improvement in comment quality. L2 writing teachers can teach effective revision strategies to their students.

Interventions to improve students’ feedback literacy

Feedback literacy has been identified as a key capability to promote in higher education, such that individuals can make the most of the imperfect feedback situations they find themselves in, both within their studies and the world beyond – work and life inclusive, and increasingly digital. Recent attention has turned to interventions that can improve student feedback literacy. These have largely been context-specific and focused on particular feedback opportunities that have been created within a unit or module of study. However, the enacted components of feedback literacy as established by Dawson et al (2024) are relatively generic, and so it may be possible to support the development of students’ feedback literacy more generally. This symposium will welcome debate on the level of tailoring of feedback literacy interventions, and offer insights into interventions which may improve students’ feedback literacy regardless of context, building on psychological theories of health behaviour change.

Enhancing feedback capabilities with the peer feedback module

Feedback has a powerful impact on student learning (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Although it has now become an essential component of higher education courses, learning how to receive and provide feedback can be difficult, as evidenced by dissatisfaction in student surveys on a global scale (e.g., MacKay et al., 2019). Carless and Boud (2018) argue that for feedback to be effective, students need to develop their feedback-related capabilities. To enhance student feedback capabilities, feedback should be viewed as a complex process that has the potential to enhance learning and which emphasizes student agency (Niemienen et al., 2021). Peer feedback offers a range of opportunities for promoting student agency, where students practice constructing, delivering, and receiving feedback (Nicol et al., 2014). In the shift to hybrid and digital learning contexts, such opportunities are frequently mediated by technology, which may require different or additional capabilities to traditional teacher-led feedback practices. A small body of work from the peer feedback literature has focused on what specific capabilities students need during the feedback process. For example, Han and Xu (2020) argue that the literacy needed for peer feedback includes cognitive readiness (making judgements and taking action) and social-affective readiness (appreciating feedback and managing affect). To expand on this, peer feedback has been conceptualized as entailing a cognitive aspect (knowing what to critique in the work), a critical thinking aspect (such as judging work), and a socio-emotional aspect (considering emotions and the social climate) (Cheng et al., 2023). With the understanding that feedback literacy can be developed over time (Malecka et al., 2022) and a recent focus on developing interventions to improve feedback skills (see Little et al., 2024), this poster presentation details the creation and development of a feedback literacy intervention which contains an online module to develop peer feedback skills. To participate in the intervention, students are required to reflect on their feedback literacy levels using a recently developed feedback literacy behaviour scale (FLBS) (Dawson et al., 2023). Following this, participants engage in a student-led, self-paced online module nested within the University’s learning management system. Each sub-module targets different peer feedback capabilities which have been categorized into five dimensions, including domain knowledge, using evaluative judgement, crafting and delivering the feedback message, managing the socio-emotional environment, and using motivation. After participation in the online module, students complete an organic and pre-existing peer feedback activity before assessing their feedback literacy levels once more through the FLBS (Dawson et al., 2023). A smaller sample of students are involved in focus groups, where insights into how the module has the potential to influence feedback capabilities are discussed. Participants also bring along student work to highlight how their feedback capabilities have been used. Through this intervention, learners may develop better feedback practices (including general feedback literacy). Crucially, they may also learn how to provide effective and helpful feedback information to their peers, which is one of the key requirements for moving beyond university and into the workforce.

The Future of Feedback

Research shows that feedback practices significantly impact key student outcomes, including performance, engagement, and satisfaction (Esmaeeli, Shandiz, Shojaei, Fazli & Ahmadi 2023). Feedback is a crucial component of learning in Higher Education (HE) and plays a vital role in developing critical thinking, improving retention, and enhancing student engagement. The importance of timely dialogic feedback in enhancing student engagement and potentially improving retention is well understood (Advance HE 2020). However, academic staff are increasingly time-poor, with reduced opportunities to provide regular in-depth quality feedback outside of that given for summative assessment (Henderson, Ryan & Phillips 2019). Early experimentations with using Generative AI (GenAI) such as ChatGPT to provide feedback for formative assessment recognises that students will learn and work in an AI-enabled world beyond their university studies (Bowditch 2023). GenAI can be leveraged inside and outside the classroom to achieve positive student engagement and improved skill development thereby affording them the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed (Hooda et al. 2022). Engaging with GenAI for feedback purposes offers an opportunity to increase equitable access to feedback across the student cohort, to support and further develop their critical skills and learning outcomes. As Verhoeven and Rana (2023) note, “AI disruption may present an opportunity to shift the focus from assessment of learning to assessment for learning”. Utilising GenAI for feedback purposes can provide rapid, personalised learning support, and aid with planning, drafting, and revising student work. However, this adoption of GenAI for feedback must be driven and developed by the educator, keeping the human in the loop to ensure quality (Atchley, Pannell, Wofford, Hopkins & Atchley). Our project draws on the principles of feedback literacy, current research on using AI as learning tool (Verhoeven & Rana 2023b; Tubino & Adachi 2022) and emphasises student-centred learning through dialogic feedback practices. The project draws on scholarship from Mollick and Mollick’s seven approaches to student use of AI (2023), Perkins, Furze, Roe and MacVaugh’s framework for ethical integration of AI in assessment (2024), and emerging work from Liu, Brightman, and Miller on GenAI and feedback (2023). This presentation addresses the conference theme of Technology, providing an overview and reflection on staff development and adoption of GenAI for feedback processes for the benefit of student learning. We will showcase four use cases of the use of GenAI to design and implement feedback creation for undergraduate formative assessment across the three Colleges at the University of Newcastle. All cases engage innovation in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) practice in developing GenAI tools to support student learning via feedback. The presentation addresses the benefits and challenges of each approach. Recognising the value of feedback in student learning, this PechaKucha is aimed at a diverse audience in HE. Our presentation will demonstrate applicability and adaptability to a range of disciplines as we explore the impact new and emerging GenAI technologies can have on HE. We will introduce the possibilities of using GenAI for feedback purposes, and encourage staff to consider experimenting with and adopting their own innovative TEL practices.

Optimising Student Preparedness through TEL Pedagogies

This paper explores the implementation of Technology-Enhanced Learning pedagogies across four schools through scalable and cross-disciplinary collaboration at a Western Australian university. Using innovative support initiatives, co-created with academic and professional staff and students, our resources focus on bridging gaps in essential academic and digital literacies and fostering student agency and self-regulation. Grounded in transition pedagogy and adaptive learning, these initiatives enhance preparedness and inclusivity for a diverse cohort of students. We seek to address the lack of student perspectives on generative AI (GenAI) tools available to date, sharing recent data that reveals students' lack of confidence in using GenAI for learning and assessments. This paper explores GenAI’s role in shaping educational practice and provides recommendations to improve its integration. These insights will potentially complement the whole-of-institution curriculum transformation initiative at our university, emphasising the importance of feedback literacy and self-regulated learning in an evolving educational landscape. Our initiatives promote self-regulated and co-regulated learning, to enable students and staff to collaboratively improve the learning process and outcomes. Finally, this paper discusses the challenges encountered, offering actionable insights for institutions aiming to enhance student preparedness through collaboration.

University Students’ Engagement with Feedback in a Quiz Platform: A Case Study of Quizizz

Students’ engagement with feedback is vital for the learning process. It is widely acknowledged that technology can enhance students’ engagement with feedback. However, research on technology-generated feedback tools emphasises that different technologies have varying impacts on students’ engagement. Recently, there has been a dearth of research shedding light on students’ engagement with feedback from quiz platforms. This mixed-methods study aims to examine the extent to which and how students engage with feedback on the Quizizz platform, drawing from Fredrick et al.'s (2004) framework of student engagement, including affective engagement, behavioural engagement, and cognitive engagement. Data were collected from a questionnaire with 294 respondents who were learning English as a foreign language at a private university in Vietnam and three focus group interviews with 15 participants. The findings indicate that participants moderately engaged with feedback from the quiz platform, and these engagements were quite complex. Moreover, data from the interviews revealed aspects of the quiz platform that can enhance students' engagement with feedback. Additionally, an Exploration Factor Analysis was conducted to explore the structure of the questionnaire measuring students’ engagement with feedback, which confirms the usefulness of the framework in measuring students’ engagement with feedback from an interactive platform. The implications for using a quiz platform regarding students’ feedback literacy were discussed.

STEP UP to University: Continuity and Belonging for Articulation Students

Articulation plays a key role in widening access to HE, but tailored support is necessary for a smooth transition. Articulating students often see themselves as lacking key skills and express concern at the significant differences between college and university. This case study explores how the academic skills team at the University of Dundee supports articulation through STEP UP: a credit-bearing module designed for students enrolled on a Social Sciences HNC at Dundee and Angus College who hold a direct entry place for second year Humanities at the university. A key strength of the STEP UP approach is its emphasis on continuity between college and university, welcoming students to the University during their college year. Students journal about their college experiences, create an artefact reflecting on their articulation year, and present a group project on "Becoming, Being, and Belonging" as a university student. They also implement feedback on their college writing to complete their first university essay, providing them with a clear link between their college and university assignments. Rather than emphasising the "gap" between college and university, STEP UP empowers students to recognise the skills they have developed during their HNC and identify how to employ these skills at university. By fostering reflexivity and feedback literacy, the module helps students understand what they bring to university and how they can grow within it. As Scottish institutions adjust to the new tertiary landscape, STEP UP demonstrates how emphasising continuity rather than difference can help articulation students develop their sense of belonging at university.

The mediating role of self-efficacy between high school students’ perceived teacher support and mathematics feedback literacy

BackgroundDuring high school, some students struggle with maths because of their inadequate mathematics feedback literacy. Mathematics teacher support is crucial for enhancing students’ mathematics feedback literacy. This research aims to analyze the fundamental traits of high school students’ mathematics feedback literacy, examine the connection between their perceived mathematics teacher support and feedback literacy, and explore the influence of mathematics self-efficacy within this context. MethodsThe study population consisted of 619 high school students, including freshmen (N = 366; 59.1 %) and sophomores (N = 253; 40.9 %), in the western provinces of China. The instruments used were the Mathematics Feedback Literacy Scale, the Perceived Mathematics Teacher Support Scale, and Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale. ResultsThe research uncovered a notable positive correlation between students’ perceived mathematics teacher support (especially affective support and autonomy support) and mathematics feedback literacy, with affective support exhibiting the greatest explanatory capacity. Deeper examinations indicated that mathematics self-efficacy functioned as a pivotal mediator in this connection, particularly in linking affective support to various aspects of mathematics feedback literacy. ConclusionThis research underscores the pivotal role that students’ perceived mathematics teachers support, particularly in terms of affective support, and their mathematics self-efficacy play in fostering their mathematics feedback literacy during high school. The discoveries not only broaden the theoretical scope of research on feedback literacy, but also provide new practical perspectives and strategic recommendations for improving high school students’ mathematics feedback literacy, enhancing mathematics self-efficacy, and ultimately facilitating the development of mathematical learning effectiveness and mathematical thinking skills.

Formative feedback through digital MCQs: Students´ perceived learning in a bachelor-level physiology course

Feedback is defined as a process in which students can benefit from information about their own performance to improve the quality of their work and learning strategies. This case study examines how students in a bachelor-level physiology course experienced their learning when receiving formative feedback through digital multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in the web-based learning platform Canvas. The poorly attended colloquia in the course were replaced by a compulsory assignment comprising eight modules of MCQs. The MCQs could be repeated multiple times by the students providing ample low threshold, low risk opportunities to test knowledge and understanding and to receive feedback on whether they had achieved the learning objectives of the course (“feedback loops”). A student survey at the end of the course underlined the potential of using MCQs for automated feedback and learning. Thematic analysis of semi-structured one-on-one interviews with eight random students from the course identified two main themes related to student learning: the importance of the MCQs format and how student characteristics can affect MCQ-aided learning. Challenges were related to the formulations of the MCQs, and the feedback received, and to procrastination of the students’ work with the MCQs reducing the learning outcome of the work. We discuss the potential of further developing and integrating online formative feedback loops through MCQs as a systematic approach to enhance learning and emphasize the importance of student and teacher feedback literacy when working with assessments tasks such as MCQs.

Peer editing and writing proficiency: an experimental study in South Korean higher education

ABSTRACT Peer editing enhances critical thinking, improves student writing, ultimately leading to a more productive learning environment (Kostopoulou and O’Dwyer 2021; Lundstrom and Baker 2009, “To give is better than to receive: The benefits of peer review to the reviewer’s own writing.” Journal of Second Language Writing 18:30–43; Storch 2018, “Written corrective feedback from sociocultural theoretical perspectives: A research agenda.” Language Teaching 51 (02): 262–277; Yao et al. 2021, “How university EFL writers’ beliefs in writing ability impact their perceptions of peer assessment: Perspectives from implicit theories of intelligence.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 46 (1): 151–167). However, reservations toward peer feedback in a university EFL setting persist due to the accuracy of L2 feedback (Braine, 2003; Erdel 2023, “Student feedback literacy (SFL) profiles in an L2 writing classroom and the influence of peer feedback on the SFL features.” International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies 11 (3): 112–125.). This study utilized a pretest-posttest writing assessment to analyze differences in writing outcomes in an academic research writing course at two universities in Seoul, South Korea. The researchers also examined the accuracy of the L2 peer-editing feedback. The sampling consisted of five randomized classes of university undergraduates. Two control groups received feedback via the instructor and two experimental groups received peer-editing feedback. A fifth mixed group was divided between the control and experimental groups but within the same context. The instructors used both in-class and online feedback tools for the control and experimental groups. The analysis used Sengupta’s (1998, “Peer evaluation: ‘I am not the teacher’.” ELT Journal 52 (1): 19–28) revision taxonomy to assess peer feedback accuracy. Participants completed separate pretest and posttest writing assessments. One at the start of the semester (pretest) and one at the end (posttest). The researchers used a MANOVA to compare the pretest and posttest mean average assessment scores between the control and experimental groups. The results show that peer feedback matches the effectiveness of professor feedback for pretest/posttest scores. Researchers also assessed 156 peer-editing assignments for feedback accuracy. Peer editors demonstrated statistically significant accuracy. This study recommends using peer feedback for its benefits to L2 learners and instructors.

L2 students’ barriers in engaging with form and content-focused AI-generated feedback in revising their compositions

Providing corrective feedback to second language (L2) writing constitutes a crucial digital affordance for AI-assisted writing systems. However, L2 writers’ revision strategies and obstacles to adopting AI-generated feedback, such as ChatGPT, remain unclear. Forty-five L2 students in a computer science program were tasked with seeking corrective feedback from ChatGPT for their argumentative essays, followed by an analysis of their revisions and rationale for feedback uptake strategies. The findings revealed that approximately 38% of the feedback was either explicitly argued (22%) or ignored (16%). Upon controlling for writing proficiency, participants statistically rejected a significantly higher proportion of feedback at the content level (e.g. evidence) than at the form level (e.g. grammar). Utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model, the reasons for rejecting or ignoring ChatGPT-generated feedback were examined through participants’ reflective data, focusing on two perspectives: inconvenience to use and unusefulness. Inconvenient factors included (1) overload feedback, (2) provision of general descriptions instead of specific error highlighting, and (3) repetitive and tedious comments. Themes related to unusefulness encompassed (1) misinterpretation of authors’ intentions, (2) lack of clarity and illustrative examples, and (3) extraneous and irrelevant feedback. The implications entail pedagogical strategies to mitigate barriers and foster feedback literacy in AI-assisted educational environment.

Exploring the potential of brief peer review training in enhancing student feedback literacy

Abstract Despite its popularity as a recommended practice in the literature of writing instruction, peer review training seems to be more of an idea promoted than a common practice in the classroom. The reason is obvious: review training often requires considerable time and effort from the instructor and students. This study seeks to examine whether and to what extent a review training intervention as brief as two hours promotes student feedback literacy, specifically in relation to feedback provision. A quasi-experiment was conducted with two groups of Chinese undergraduate students with a follow-up interview. Results showed a positive effect on the provision of global feedback comments and an increasing focus on elaborate, constructive feedback after the training. Findings from the interview revealed students’ positive perceptions of training activities. The present study makes an empirical contribution to the literature and advances conversation in the area of peer review training and student feedback literacy.

Interconnecting peer feedback literacy: Exploring the relationship between providing and acting on peer feedback

Recent research highlights the concept of feedback literacy, focusing on students’ active engagement in feedback processes, including giving and receiving peer feedback. However, most studies rely on self-assessments through surveys and interviews, with few examining actual feedback behaviors. This study explores the behavioral aspects of peer feedback literacy among 844 high school students using an online system for peer feedback and revisions. Multiple measures related to provided ratings and comments as well as use in revisions were extracted using systematic coding. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling identified two distinct elements of high-quality feedback provision—providing features and rating validity—and confirmed a moderate correlation between the ability to provide quality feedback and the use of feedback. These skills were weakly correlated with writing ability. This research contributes to the emerging literature of peer feedback literacy and supports the development of more effective peer feedback training approaches.

A cognitive diagnostic approach to IELTS speaking test: unveiling the subskills and test-takers’ perceptions

Although the IELTS speaking test assesses English verbal-communication competence accurately and reliably, its traditional, retroactive scoring framework stops short of providing detailed diagnostic information about individual test-takers’ specific domains of proficiency or deficiency. This study employed a cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) framework, grounded in cognitive psychology and diagnostic, formative feedback theories, to identify the specific cognitive (sub)skills and attributes required to successfully perform on the IELTS speaking test and examine the test-takers’ perceptions regarding the CDA and IELTS-speaking-assessment interface. The purpose was to integrate CDA and feedback literacy into the IELTS assessment. Adopting a cognitive/psychometric perspective, we conceptualized language proficiency as encompassing separate cognitive subskills that can be systematically measured and diagnosed. To this end, we analyzed speaking data from 500 pre-IELTS candidates and conducted 20 expert interviews. The thematic analysis employed through the MAXQDA software helped identify five specific subskills related to the IELTS speaking test. Using a similar thematic analysis procedure, we extracted five perceptive themes regarding an integrated IELTS-CDA framework from the interview data of 151 participants. The results have important implications for the practicality and efficacy of employing CDA to improve IELTS speaking interpretation and feedback.

Teacher-written feedback in L2 writing education: Insights into student tensions and responses

This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and experiences of six undergraduate students enrolled in two writing courses within an L2 teacher education programme. The focus was on understanding the tensions these students experienced when engaging with their tutors' written feedback and the impact of these tensions on their responses. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the research involved semi-structured background interviews and stimulated recall interviews. Key findings reveal multiple dimensions of tensions, including emotional, interpersonal, academic, and institutional. Students employed various adaptive and maladaptive strategies to navigate these tensions, ranging from proactive engagement and peer support to avoidance and selective feedback engagement. The study also identified five characteristics of the interaction between tensions and responses: dynamic, context-dependent, idiosyncratic, cumulative, and interconnected. These insights emphasise the need for educators to provide clear, specific, and constructive feedback, and foster a supportive environment that mitigates negative impacts and promotes adaptive strategies. The findings have significant implications for research and practice, advocating for the development of feedback literacy among educators and students to enhance the effectiveness of written feedback in L2 writing education.

The Road to Better Assessment: Unleashing the Potential of Feedback Literacy Through Bibliometric Analysis in Education

Objective: Feedback literacy is a fundamental skill in education that supports academic success, personal growth, and the development of lifelong learning skills. It improves the educational experience by encouraging a culture of improvement and effective communication. Feedback literacy enhances students' learning by leveraging their ability to evaluate feedback. This research analyzes articles on Feedback Literacy using Bibliometric Analysis to explore topic development and research potential. Method: descriptive research that Bibliometric Analysis processes. Results: 106 articles on feedback literacy from 2012 to 2022 were mined from Database Scopus, with the United Kingdom being the leading country contributing to this topic. The most active authors are Paul Sutton and David Carless. The latest trends in feedback literacy are associated with self-assessment, student engagement, socio-material aspects, and interprofessional education. Novelty: The novelty in exploring articles related to feedback literacy is the research associated with individual differences in learning, as each student always desires to be treated differently, especially when receiving feedback and giving feedback to other classmates

Assessment of Students’ Satisfaction with Sports and Recreational Services in Southwestern Nigeria Federal Universities

Objective: Feedback literacy is a fundamental skill in education that supports academic success, personal growth, and the development of lifelong learning skills. It improves the educational experience by encouraging a culture of improvement and effective communication. Feedback literacy enhances students' learning by leveraging their ability to evaluate feedback. This research analyzes articles on Feedback Literacy using Bibliometric Analysis to explore topic development and research potential. Method: descriptive research that Bibliometric Analysis processes. Results: 106 articles on feedback literacy from 2012 to 2022 were mined from Database Scopus, with the United Kingdom being the leading country contributing to this topic. The most active authors are Paul Sutton and David Carless. The latest trends in feedback literacy are associated with self-assessment, student engagement, socio-material aspects, and interprofessional education. Novelty: The novelty in exploring articles related to feedback literacy is the research associated with individual differences in learning, as each student always desires to be treated differently, especially when receiving feedback and giving feedback to another classmate.

Exploration of medical students’ approach to progress test preparation

Introduction: Medical students are expected to develop competencies in applying clinical knowledge. Progress testing is an assessment for learning and is intended to assist in knowledge acquisition and to promote ongoing recall. This study explored student preparation for progress tests (PTs), relationships between approach and performance, and patterns that could assist with targeting learning support. Methods: A cross-sectional survey exploring study approach and learning context, comprising multi-choice and open-ended responses, was administered to students during their clinical years (n = 297). Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and comparative analysis, and qualitative data was categorised. Results: One hundred twenty-nine students responded (43.4%), with most demonstrating a stable PT performance over time. Twenty-two students had dynamic changes in their aggregate grades. Poor early PT performance was associated with developing an improvement strategy (χ2 6.954, p = 0.008). Students never falling below satisfactory were less likely to have a strategy (χ2 10.084, p = 0.001). All poorly performing students were using practice question banks, but this was not true for students who scored satisfactorily. The need for pastoral care was associated with poorer performance (χ2 4.701, p = 0.030). Conclusions: Student approaches to PT preparation are diverse, however there are correlations between preparation factors and performance outcomes. Students with poor early performance demonstrated improved results over time that may be attributed to targeted support and preparation strategies. Widespread use of practice questions may not be sufficient to impact results without additional strategies. External impacts to performance were common, and barriers to accessing pastoral care were evident. The feedback dashboard was underutilised, suggesting a need to improve feedback literacy and ensure this is fit for purpose.

‘Feedbackpacking’: mapping the journey towards independent L2 student feedback literacy

Generally, there are two kinds of travellers: package tourists and independent backpackers. The journey towards second language (L2) student feedback literacy shares many features with independent backpacker travel, and there are benefits to viewing student feedback literacy this way. Despite feedback playing a fundamental role in higher education learners’ development, students and teachers are currently dissatisfied with feedback. This research uses the metaphor of independent backpacker travel to explore how L2 learners can become more effective users of feedback through feedbackpacking. Specifically, seven Chinese undergraduate English for Academic Purposes students at a Sino-foreign joint venture university were interviewed. Data were analysed thematically to highlight salient features of students’ journeys towards L2 student feedback literacy and to demonstrate that for such learners, this journey is perhaps more complex than current understandings assume. By linking students’ self-reported feedback practices to the concept of independent backpacker travel, the practical insights reported will benefit higher education practitioners across disciplines who wish to develop their L2 learners’ feedback literacy. The results emphasize the importance of context, culture, and language for effective feedback, highlighting the benefits for L2 learners to adopt a mindset of feedbackpacking in order achieve L2 feedback literacy.

Using an evidence-informed reflection tool to develop understandings of feedback talk

ABSTRACT Research-based and practical reflection tools can enable systematic analysis of practice and contribute to deeper understandings of classroom processes. An empirically based, evidence-informed reflection tool was developed to support teachers to recognise feedback talk and how it is built into classroom interactions. The tool, titled the feedback talk framework, enabled teachers to reflect on their feedback talk and effect changes in practice and feedback literacy. The feedback talk framework was refined through a survey and semi-structured interviews with teachers for use as a reflection tool and resulted in three overarching feedback talk themes: informing, confirming and validating, and questioning. Results illuminated how teachers used the tool to identify and reflect on feedback talk, strengthening our argument that using an empirically derived feedback talk framework can support evidence-based approaches to teacher reflection. Suggestions and implications for the utility of the reflection tool in a range of contexts are then provided.