Student Utilisation of Feedback: A Cyclical Model

In this chapter I discuss research which explored student’s experiences of assessment and feedback from a phenomenographic perspective and propose a conceptual six-stage cyclical assessment and feedback model. Data indicated a multifaceted interpretation of the student experience suggesting that a student’s achievement outcome, relative to their pre-determined expectation level, regulates their emotional reaction and subsequent feedback utilisation. The phenomenographic outcome space (Åkerlind, 2005) revealed five categories of description (rationalising, needy, low achiever, emotionally changeable and high achiever). The chapter explores the implications of this outcome space in relation to how students’ utilised the feedback they received. In light of such findings, implications for practice are discussed indicating that grade outcome was an extremely powerful construct which seemed to foster both adaptive and maladaptive emotions and subsequent assessment-related behaviours. In conclusion, I suggest that understanding students’ individual needs through fostering lecturer and student relationships, alongside dialogic feedback opportunities, may help to improve a student’s propensity to utilise the feedback received.