Case Study 3: Assessing learning and exchanging feedback
Contextual Background:
I provide written feedback to BA and MA journalism students as part of my full-time role at LCC. This is my first time offering feedback in a UK higher education context, requiring me to adapt to new expectations and practices.
In this case study, I focus on second-year BA students enrolled in the Advanced Audiovisual Unit, which is holistically assessed. Students are required to produce an audiovisual journalistic portfolio, and my role is to provide written feedback and a final mark based on the UAL assessment criteria: knowledge, process, communication, and realisation.
A key challenge with second-year students is that this is their first experience of receiving a final mark. As a result, they tend to focus more on passing the unit and achieving a good mark rather than engaging with feedback and the learning process. Turner (1984) noted that for many students, passing exams is their primary educational goal. This trend can be traced back to the rise of capitalism and industrialisation, which introduced competition for desirable social roles. Patricia Broadfoot, in The Social Purposes of Assessment, explores how these historical influences have shaped students’ perceptions of assessment. This context challenges me to provide meaningful feedback that shifts their focus towards learning.
Evaluation :
The first adjustment I made was refining my communication style. Coming from a southern Italian background, I tend to be direct, which was reflected in my feedback. However, given the multicultural nature of UAL, with students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, I adopted a more formal and indirect approach to ensure inclusivity and avoid discomfort. This improved communication and engagement with my students.
Additionally, I integrated principles from Nonviolent Communication (NVC) into my written feedback, a method I had previously applied in workshop facilitation but not in higher education. Inspired by Marshall Rosenberg’s Words Are Windows or They’re Walls, I focused on four key aspects: observing without judging, expressing feelings to build connection, addressing needs and learning goals, and making actionable positive requests. While I am still refining this approach, I have already noticed improvements in how students engage with my feedback.
Despite these efforts, some students continue to struggle with understanding the purpose of feedback and remain primarily concerned with their final mark.
Moving forwards:
Through PgCert course and experience and discussions with colleagues at UAL, I have identified several ways to further improve my feedback approach:
- Align feedback more explicitly with assessment criteria : I will ensure my feedback clearly links to the specific assessment criteria. A useful resource to share with students is UAL’s Take 5 video on assessment criteria:
https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/stories/take-5-uals-assessment-criteria.
- Encourage student involvement in assessment: I will ask students how they prefer to be assessed and explore the integration of self-assessment. This approach could be particularly beneficial for neurodivergent and introverted students, ensuring they feel comfortable and engaged with the process.
- Explore compassionate feedback strategies: Colleagues have recommended studying compassionate feedback approaches, which align with NVC principles but may offer additional insights. UAL provides a helpful guide on compassionate feedback: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/381364/Compassionate-feedback-prompts_Final_November-2022-3.pdf.
- Offer one-to-one sessions for feedback clarification: While I am already available for student queries upon request, I will make it clearer that I am happy to discuss feedback in one-to-one sessions. This will help address misunderstandings and reassure students about their progress.
By implementing these strategies, I hope to enhance the impact of my feedback in the future.
References
Broadfoot, P. (1996) ‘The social purposes of assessment’, in Education, assessment, and society: a sociological analysis. Buckingham: Open University Press, pp. 19–38.
McDonald, J.K. and Michela, E. (2019) ‘The design critique and the moral goods of studio pedagogy’, Design Studies, 62, pp. 1–35.
Rosenberg, M.B. (1995) Words Are Windows or They’re Walls: A Presentation of Nonviolent Communication. Create Your Life-Production.
Turner, J.C. (1984) ‘Failure and defeat as determinants of group cohesiveness’, British Journal of Social Psychology, 23(4), pp. 303–314.
UAL Resources and Guidelines for assessment
University of the Arts London (n.d.) Assessment and feedback resources. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/teaching-and-learning-exchange/resources/assessment-and-feedback (Accessed: 25 March 2025).
University of the Arts London (2024) Supporting inclusive and developmental crits: A guidance for staff at UAL. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/451180/Crits-Guidance-Sep-2024.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2025).
University of the Arts London (2022) Compassionate feedback: Ideas for prompting reflection on compassionate approaches to feedback. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/381364/Compassionate-feedback-prompts_Final_November-2022-3.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2025).
University of the Arts London (n.d.) Take 5 – UAL’s Assessment Criteria. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/stories/take-5-uals-assessment-criteria (Accessed: 25 March 2025).