Created on: 27 Apr 2023 | Last modified: 01 Feb 2024
PDF – Exploring Feedback for All Learners to Develop Creative Thinking
Author
Kirsteen Wight
This paper discusses a small change made to feedback approaches in a Scottish Further Education College HND Visual Communication course. With higher levels of students declaring additional support needs (ASN) on this course, and across the college system, there was a need to look at inclusive practices, focussing on a change that would be effective, supportive and accessible for all students.
Being a visual communication (graphic design) course the students are encouraged throughout their studies to learn from feedback to progress their creative thinking and to take on board opinions which will be important when working with clients in the ‘real world’. With teaching having been online due to Covid-19 the students are now back in the classroom, face-to-face, and there is a disconnect as to how the students take on board feedback given in formative and summative forms, and even whether they read and value the feedback at all.
Written feedback is mainly given through the virtual learning environment Moodle allowing a space to collect evidence for SQA assessment purposes. Taking on this need to learn more about how students use feedback, whether feedback practices need to be changed and how this change could be undertaken, this project worked with students on the HND course across both first and second year levels to establish a trial feedback sheet and assess future use of this to breakdown feedback to manageable ‘chunks’ of text, allowing students to learn and develop creatively as they progress on the course.
And ultimately allowing all students access to develop from feedback.
This research provides a model of evidence-based practice for adjusting feedback practices in Further Education, as well as including learners including those with additonal suport needs as partners in developing practice.
This report may be of interest to other college lecturers exploring their teaching and feedback practices, in Visual Communications or other subjects, or wishing to engage learners with the progressive development of pedagogical approaches within further education.