Discipline-specific feedback literacies: A framework for curriculum design

Abstract

Feedback literacy is an important graduate attribute that supports students’ future work capacities. This study aimed to develop a framework through which discipline-specific feedback literacies, as a set of socially situated skills, can be developed within core curricula. The framework is developed through a content analysis of National Qualifications Frameworks from six countries and UK Subject Benchmark Statements for multiple disciplines, analysis of indicative subject content for a range of disciplines and consultation with subject-matter experts. Whilst most of the benchmark statements incorporate the development of feedback literacy skills related to ‘making judgements’, attributes relating to ‘appreciating feedback’ and ‘taking action based on feedback’ are less prevalent. Skills related to ‘managing the affective challenges of feedback’ are most prevalent in documentation for applied disciplines. The resulting empirically guided curriculum design framework showcases how integrating the development of discipline-specific feedback literacies can be enacted through authentic learning activities and assessment tasks. In terms of implications for practice, the framework represents in concrete terms how discipline-specific feedback literacies can be integrated within higher education curricula. The findings also have implications for policy: by positioning discipline-specific feedback literacies as graduate outcomes, we believe they should be integrated within national qualifications frameworks as crucial skills to be developed through higher education courses. Finally, from a theoretical perspective, we advance conceptions of feedback literacy through a sociocultural approach and propose new directions for research that seek to reconceptualise a singular concept of feedback literacy as multiple feedback literacies that unfold in distinctive ways across disciplines.

Teacher Feedback Practices, Student Feedback Motivation, and Feedback Behavior: How Are They Associated With Learning Outcomes?

“…In spite of much theorizing about teacher provision of feedback, relatively fewer quantitative studies have been conducted to explore how students actually engage with feedback. Existent research suggested that culture and values of different disciplines might influence formation of feedback and feedback engagement (Winstone et al, 2020 ), and productive feedback processes tend to be shaped by disciplinary conventions and practices (Esterhazy, 2018 ). In the area of academic English studies in higher education settings, there have been small-scale qualitative investigations into students' engagement with teacher written feedback on their writing performance (e.g., Han and Hyland, 2015 ; Zhang and Cheng, 2018 ; Han and Xu, 2019 ; Hu, 2019 ).…”

Disciplinary perspectives on feedback processes: towards signature feedback practices

“…Rather than experiencing generic feedback practices, such as end-of-semester written feedback, it may be more profitable for students to experience signature feedback practices authentic to the discipline. By building on disciplinary forms of learning and how feedback is enacted in the workplace, signature feedback practices resonate with concepts in recent literature, such as authentic feedback (Dawson, Carless, and Lee 2020) and discipline-specific feedback literacies (Winstone, Balloo, and Carless 2020). Signature feedback practices carry potential to act as a focal point for the fusing of feedback modes and disciplinary ways of thinking.…”

“…The development of feedback literacy can be embedded within the curriculum when students have sustained opportunities to elicit, process and use feedback (Malecka, Boud, and Carless 2020). A recent study of National Qualifications Frameworks and Subject Benchmark Statements suggests that discipline-specific feedback literacies can be developed through authentic learning activities and assessment tasks (Winstone, Balloo, and Carless 2020).…”

The focus, function and framing of feedback information: linguistic and content analysis of in-text feedback comments

“…The focus of this research reinforces the need to consider linguistic features which may encourage self-regulation. Whilst it is recognised that students need to understand their own role in the feedback process and levels of feedback literacy (Winstone, Balloo, and Carless 2020), providing feedback which facilitates student development by encouraging engagement, understanding and action, is the first vital step in this process. The way in which feedback is presented will have consequences, and the extent to which it prompts a response is likely to depend upon the affective and cognitive response of the student.…”