Can relational feed-forward enhance students’ cognitive and affective responses to assessment?

Hill, Jennifer ORCID: 0000-0002-0682-783X, Berlin, Kathy, Choate, Julia, Cravens-Brown, Lisa, McKendrick-Calder, Lisa and Smith, Susan (2021) Can relational feed-forward enhance students’ cognitive and affective responses to assessment? Teaching and Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 9 (2). Art 18. doi:10.20343/teachlearninqu.9.2.18

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Abstract

Assessment feedback should be an integral part of learning in higher education, but students can find this process emotionally and cognitively challenging. Instructors need to consider how to manage students’ responses to feedback so that students feel capable of improving their work and maintaining their wellbeing. In this paper, we examine the role of instructor-student relational feed-forward, enacted as a dialogue relating to ongoing assessment, in dissipating student anxiety, enabling productive learning attitudes and behaviours, and supporting wellbeing. We undertook qualitative data collection within two undergraduate teaching units that were adopting a relational feed-forward intervention over the 2019-2020 academic year. Student responses were elicited via small group semi-structured interviews and personal reflective diaries, and were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. The results demonstrate that relational feed-forward promotes many elements of student feedback literacy, such as appreciating the purpose and value of feedback, judging work against a rubric, exercising volition and agency to act, and managing affect. Students were keen for instructors to help them manage their emotions related to assessment, believing this would promote their wellbeing. We conclude by exploring academic strategies and pedagogies that position relational instructor feed-forward as an act of care, and we summarize the key characteristics of emotionally resonant relational feed-forward meetings.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Assessment feedback; Relational feed-forward; Thematic analysis; Emotional resonance; wellbeing
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Divisions:	Professional Services > Academic Development Unit
Research Priority Areas:	Society and Learning
Depositing User:	Rhiannon Goodland
Date Deposited:	14 Jun 2021 11:39
Last Modified:	22 Mar 2023 17:01
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/9816

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