Abstract

This paper is devoted to an innovative approach to feedback. Based on the social constructivist approach (Vygotsky, 1978); this innovation suggests that the meaning of the assessment feedback is constructed during tutorial with a student and this has more meaning than a written document. We adopted the approach suggested by Race (2001) regarding use of smarter feedback and suggest using feedback without grades as an opportunity for students to focus on learning rather than their marks.

The project is based on the students’ feedback regarding their preferences to meet with the tutor to discuss the feedback to understand it better and to engage in a dialogue with the marker rather than just to see the written document. Hence students’ work is marked without grades online and once it is released, students are offered individual tutorials with the marker to discuss their feedback points (Carroll, 2014). Such approach focuses on students’ needs and assessment for learning processes.

The main aim of this study is to compare students’ experience of this approach in various groups: a) depending on the cohort size; b) across several disciplines, e.g. nursing vs social work; c) undergraduate vs postgraduate students’ experience (will include MSc Social Work students); d) interdisciplinary group experience (e.g. module is offered to Health and Social Care, Law, Sociology and Criminology students) e) semester A module vs Semester A and B module; f) undergraduate 1st yea vs undergraduate 3rd year students.