This research is looking at how to make feedback process between student and tutor more useful for the learning process. It addresses the concern that some students don’t always know what is expected from them, don’t look at the LOs and criteria at the start and as a guiding framework of project work and that tutors don’t always fully understand the aims of students in their work.

Observation, conversations with the students and anecdotal knowledge demonstrate that this is mainly due to the complex and rigid terms used in the LOs and marking criteria, often replicated in the vague and complicated terminology tutors offer in their feedback, which can make students feel tutors do not understand their work or that by not wanting to say it directly wrap it in complex terminology. This can create a disjuncture between the student and tutor in terms of student not considering the feedback and tutor not being able to offer best help.

As part of this pilot study we worked with 8 students from stage 1, 2 and 3 and conducted first 1-2-1 tutorials and a group activity to better understand what students expect from feedback, how relevant and accessible feedback is, to go through the assessment process and unpack some of the terminology behind LOs and marking criteria. The rationale was that this would help students set realistic tasks for each other, entrust learning into their hands and see the connection between this process and their later professional lives.