First year student voices: Their experience of written feedback in a study skills module Samantha McGinty

The first year experience Retention and progression Yorke & Thomas (2003) Formative ‘Chunks’ Student voice (Young, 2000) Engagement

Research context Study skills module Portfolio assessment Pilot study, feedback tutor Main study, e-tutor

Research methods: semi- structured interviews Interview schedule 10 pilot study participants 10 main study participants Feminist methodology

Research methods: feedback analysis A range of coding frameworks Hyland & Hyland (2001),Straub (1999), Brown et al (2003) Themes: praise, questioning, surface features, hedges

Interview comments Pilot study ‘Some examples of how to change it would be helpful. I don’t know how to change it.’ ‘It just says good. It doesn’t really help me.’ ‘Yeah it’s okay – it tells me what to improve, but sometimes I can’t understand how to change the work.’

Interview comments Main study ‘The feedback was very, very positive…Mandy’ comments were basically that I’d done a good job and just suggested one or two things.’ ‘ Yeah because it was pointing me in the right direction…I was happy with that.’ ‘Most of it was upbeat sort of like … I’m looking forward to reading more and then go on to the there are a few points that I think you would like to consider if you don’t mind me saying so.’

Examples of feedback – Pilot study ‘You write your paper as though the claims you make apply to all women. Be careful because they do not.’ ‘This is not especially clear to me.’ ‘A good introduction.’

Examples of feedback – Main study ‘You have to give specific examples of what the two different areas have in common and what they disagree on.’ ‘I’m confident that a simple re-draft taking into account this advice will fix the problem.’

Findings Students in the main study found the feedback overwhelmingly positive This was not initially reflected in the feedback analysis Pilot study had more ‘positive’ feedback The main study used hedges Reassurance

Discussion Students’ perceptions of feedback Academic literacies model (Lea & Street, 1998) Role of feedback in the first year?

Conclusion Underestimate the link between feedback and first year experience Significance of student voice More research needs to be done on impact of feedback on student engagement ‘I got a bit of encouragement as well like your on the right lines just like maybe a bit more detail in this – you know what I mean so I was happy with the feedback that I got’ (Jack, main study).