Capturing student feedback literacy using reflective logs

ABSTRACT

First-year university students are confronted with a different culture of feedback than they were used to in secondary education. Since the emphasis at university is mainly on independent learning, students need to fulfil the role of a self-regulated learner and need to develop feedback literacy to make use of the multitude of feedback opportunities. In this study, reflective logs were used to capture first-year engineering students’ most impactful feedback experiences. It was demonstrated that reflective logs are a valuable instrument to provide insight into students’ feedback literacy. Moreover, a significant association between the reflection level and the presence of the different feedback literacy characteristics was found. Although most of the students acknowledge the basic understandings of feedback, only about half of the reflective logs point to a more advanced use of feedback opportunities. The lack of some specific characteristics suggest that students behold a teacher-centred view of feedback. Therefore, it is important to explicitly introduce them to the contemporary learner-centred definitions of feedback so that they can recognise the variety of feedback opportunities. The study further endorses that developing reflective skills can be an important precursor to feedback literacy.

KEYWORDS:

• first-year
• engineering
• feedback literacy
• reflection

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by KU Leuven: IDL 2019-25.

Notes on contributors

Kurt Coppens

Kurt Coppens obtained a master’s degree in Polymer Processing Engineering Technology in 2008. He then started working as a process and design engineer, before joining KU Leuven as an additive manufacturing researcher in 2012. His growing interest in education motivated him to obtain a teacher’s degree and to change the direction of his research. His project explores the feedback literacy of engineering students.

Lynn Van den Broeck

Dr. Lynn Van den Broeck holds a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering Technology and did a PhD in engineering education, which focused on improving the guidance and support of transfer students in Engineering via the development of a validated diagnostic test and effective interventions. Her research interests focus on study guidance, effectiveness, and efficiency of educational interventions, lifelong learning and professional competencies, and feedback.

Naomi Winstone

Prof. Naomi Winstone Naomi completed a BSc (Hons) in Psychology at the University of Surrey in 2005, which included a professional training year in educational psychology with Dorset County Educational Psychology Service. She then completed an MSc in Psychology of Early Development at the University of Reading in 2006, before returning to Surrey to undertake a PhD. Naomi has been working at the University of Surrey since September 2009. Naomi is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and was awarded National Teaching Fellowship in 2016.

Greet Langie

Prof. Greet Langie is a professor in the domain of Engineering Technology at KU Leuven. She is a member of the steering committee of the Leuven Engineering and Science Education Center (LESEC). Her research interest lies in student transitions in diverse Higher Education settings. It concerns applied educational research that focuses on predictors of study success, feedback-process, professional competencies, and professional identity of future engineers.