Giving feedback on a draft assessment dataset

Considerable tutor effort is put into providing feedback to students on their assessments, however low rates of engagement with this feedback are a known problem in higher education. This study measured the impact of a new feedback model on the rate of opening of feedback files and the grade distribution across three cohorts (2023–25) using data from a virtual learning environment. For a written assessment in a second-year undergraduate forensic science programme, students were given the opportunity to submit a draft version and receive feedback on this instead of their final version (which was marked with a Turnitin rubric). Forty-four students in the 2023/24 academic year also completed an online survey to assess their perceptions of the new feedback model and explore reasons some did not submit a draft. Across ~100 students in each cohort, the rate of feedback uptake improved from 7% of students looking at their feedback files to 98%. Although the difference between the mean grades for the summative assessment between cohorts was not statistically significant (55.9 vs. 57.4 and 57.7) the grade profile improved, with fewer students failing (<40) or obtaining pass grades (40–50) under the new model. The survey revealed that the students found the feedback helpful, and it increased their confidence when tackling the final assessment. A lack of time was the main reason some did not submit a draft. Most students (59% and 76%) viewed the feedback on their draft on the virtual learning environment on the day or the day after it was released. A face-to-face session where students could clarify and discuss any feedback comments with the tutor was key to the new approach as a collaborative and two-way process.