8 The 1–2-3 Feedback Cycle
Mike Hobbs and Elaine Brown
Introduction
Student engagement covers a variety of different contexts (Healey, 2014) but it is ‘engagement with learning’ that has often been achieved through student-centred approaches that are also used in AL. Engaging students with the content and curriculum is a major topic in education research, policy and practice. The QAA Code on student engagement suggests that although this theme has a long history it is now focused on both quality issues and ‘improving the motivation of students to engage in learning and to learn independently’ (QAA, 2012: 4).
More recently, student engagement has included the idea of students as partners, or co-creators, contributing to what and how courses are assessed as well as being involved in wider aspects of quality and organisation of the institution (Healey et al., 2014). However, to perform this extended role, a student needs good academic literacies and an awareness of assessment processes. Encouraging student contribution to content and inclusion in the assessment process helps build their competence and confidence to engage more deeply with their subject, their course and institution.
Gibbs and Simpson (2004) reviewed the role of feedback and assessment and provide a framework to support learning. In particular, peer review is identified as a way to provide timely feedback and increased ‘time on task’. To provide coherent feedback on other students’ work, students need to understand assessment criteria and must apply their knowledge through analysis and evaluation. Working in groups offers the opportunity for students to share knowledge, co-develop ideas, and improve communication skills (Boud et al., 2001).
The 1–2-3-Feedback Cycle presented in this chapter is based on Gibbs’ (1998) Reflective Cycle. The task we designed uses an authentic case study with genuine analysis and group discussion allowing a range of legitimate answers depending on student interpretations.
The pedagogic context
A simple definition for Active Learning (AL) is given by the UK Higher Education Authority (HEA, 2018) as follows:
A method that encourages student engagement through activity, group discussion, experimentation and role-play, in contrast to the passive memorisation of information (online)
AL is a constructivist educational theory, characterised by the need for students to build (construct) their knowledge. The broad definition of AL can include traditional learning activities such as listening and making notes. However, it is more usual to include higher order thinking tasks such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation (Bonwell and Eison, 1991). AL is associated with student-centred, enquiry/problem/discovery-based learning and a desire to develop learners as well as impart knowledge. Team-Based Learning (TBL) is another example of a student-centred approach credited with improved results and engagement with subject content (Michaelsen and Sweet, 2011). This study sha