Feedback for Future Learning

Using Feedback Successfully

Introduction

Good feedback is essential for learning. We receive feedback in lots of different ways – at University, from colleagues or employers, from customers or clients, even from friends and family. It’s important that you can use the wide range of feedback available to its full advantage.

As a student, feedback can help you to see what you are doing well in relation to your studies, and also help you to identify how you could improve your performance in the future.

Online learning units

These units explore the nature and purpose of feedback, giving useful tips about how to get the most out of your feedback whilst at University and beyond.

We will give you simple tools to help you view feedback positively and use it to improve your future learning.

We will also look beyond University, exploring how feedback can help you to succeed in the workplace – whether on placement, in part-time work, or in your first graduate job.

Aims and objectives

By completing this learning unit, you will develop a greater understanding of:

The 8 Feedback Principles @ GCU and how they can benefit your learning

Why feedback is an essential part of the learning process

The range of methods used to give feedback at GCU

Sources of support that can help you make the most of the feedback that you receive at GCU

Why is feedback so important?

• Balancing study, work and home life can be tough.

• You invest a lot of time and energy learning how be successful at University (searching for literature, referencing, new technologies and tools…).

• When you’ve got assessments to complete, it’s easy to focus on getting them done before moving on to your next task. Feedback might not seem like a big priority, especially if you're doing well.

• But without feedback, it’s very difficult to know how to improve – you’ll continue to make the same mistakes and will find it harder to identify your strengths.

• Spending a little time reflecting on your feedback from each assessment can make a massive difference to your student experience. Think of feedback as the final ‘piece’ of the academic puzzle!

You are also likely to receive feedback outwith University, which can enhance your personal and professional development. Useful sources of feedback outwith University may include:

• Work (part-time or full-time)

• Volunteering roles

• Placements or internships

• Sports clubs or societies

• University roles, e.g. Class Rep, School Officer, Student Mentor

• GCUSA roles, e.g. Full Time Officer

• International opportunities, e.g. Study Abroad, Erasmus

Feedback outwith your studies

Learning to be a successful student

Stage 2 – Conscious Incompetence

Stage 3 – Conscious Competence

Stage 1 – Unconscious Incompetence

Stage 4 – Unconscious Competence

Using feedback to achieve

competence

The Conscious Competence Learning Matrix simply explains the various stages we go through when learning a new skill. It applies at all stages of our learning – e.g. learning to ride a bike as a child, learning how to drive and, of course, learning how to be a successful student at University.

Click on each section in turn to read more about Conscious Competence and why it’s important to our learning.

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Stage 1 – Unconscious Incompetence

Stage 2 – Conscious Incompetence

Stage 3 – Conscious Competence

Stage 1 – Unconscious Incompetence

Stage 4 – Unconscious Competence

Using feedback to achieve

competence

Before we learn a new skill and are still complete novices, we start off in Stage 1 (Unconscious Incompetence). We still don’t really know what we’ll need to learn. Think about the very first time you tried to ride a bike or drive a car – everything was unfamiliar and you needed a lot of help and support to get started.

This is often true of new students at University. Everything feels quite new and you don’t yet know exactly what you’ve got to learn. It can feel a bit overwhelming and you’re likely to spend your first few weeks finding out what you need to learn, before tackling the process of learning it. But, with practice, things can start to improve…

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Stage 2 – Conscious Incompetence

Stage 2 – Conscious Incompetence

Stage 3 – Conscious Competence

Stage 1 – Unconscious Incompetence

Stage 4 – Unconscious Competence

Using feedback to achieve

competence

As we move into Stage 2 (Conscious Incompetence) we’re still some way off from mastering the new skill, but we’ve figured out what we need to learn to do so. For example, thinking back to learning to ride a bike, we’ve figured out that we need to learn how to balance, pedal, brake, change gear and so on.

As a new student, you’ve become much more familiar with the campus, structures and processes that you need to get to grips with. You might not yet know how to navigate all of these, but you feel a bit more comfortable about what you need to learn.

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Stage 3 – Conscious Competence

Stage 2 – Conscious Incompetence

Stage 3 – Conscious Competence

Stage 1 – Unconscious Incompetence

Stage 4 – Unconscious Competence

Using feedback to achieve

competence

By Stage 3 (Conscious Competence) we’re mastering the new skill, but still need to think about it carefully and focus on each step in turn. For example, you may now be able to ride a bike or drive unassisted, but you need to concentrate on what you’re doing and might not like any unwanted distractions!

As a student, you’re now reasonably confident about your academic skills but will still check back to the learning criteria, referencing guides and so on to make sure you’re staying on track. This is sensible – you don’t want to get complacent and make unnecessary mistakes.

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Stage 4 – Unconscious Competence

Stage 2 – Conscious Incompetence

Stage 3 – Conscious Competence

Stage 1 – Unconscious Incompetence

Stage 4 – Unconscious Competence

Using feedback to achieve

competence

By Stage 4 the skill has become innate and feels like second nature. You barely think about what you’re doing – you jump on a bike or hop in the car and go.

You have become unconsciously competent.

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Using feedback to achieve competence

Stage 2 – Conscious Incompetence

Stage 3 – Conscious Competence

Stage 1 – Unconscious Incompetence

Stage 4 – Unconscious Competence

Using feedback to achieve

competence

When we’re learning something new, feedback is essential to help us progress from incompetence to competence. If we don’t get feedback on what we’re doing well, and where we’re going wrong, we’ll continue to make the same mistakes again and again. Without feedback and support from our parents or driving instructors, most of us would never have learned how to ride a bike or drive a car.

The same is true for students at University. Without reflecting upon, and using, your academic feedback, it's very difficult to progress, grow and succeed to the best of your abilities.

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Top 10 tips for feedbackAs you progress through these learning units, we will focus on how to reflect upon, and use, feedback positively.

In the meantime, here are our Top 10 Tips for feedback:

• Fit feedback reflection time into your studies

• Enjoy – see the positives of feedback

• Expand your perspective – use feedback to improve

• Draw upon other people for help

• Barriers – what’s stopping you learning from feedback?

• Ask for help – be assertive

• Check your understanding – does this feedback make sense?

• Know yourself – how have you responded to your feedback?and

• Maximising

• Employability

Using feedback in practice

How do GCU students use feedback in practice?

Go to the ‘Feedback videos’ in the ‘Resources’ section of our website to hear from students who have used academic feedback to improve future assignments, increase their performance and enhance their overall student experience at GCU.

Need more feedback?

When you receive any kind of feedback at University, check that it makes sense to you. If not, don’t hesitate to contact your Module Leader for clarification or to ask for more feedback. Asking questions and seeking clarification are key aspects of the feedback dialogue (Principle 1).

Before you seek additional feedback, it may be useful to read over the following information:

• Who to ask for more feedback• How to ask for more feedback• Preparing for a feedback meeting• Questions you may consider asking

(Click on the links below for more information on each)

Who to ask How to ask Preparing

Questions (1) Questions (2) Skip

Who to ask for more feedback?

• First point of call – your lecturer or Module Leader.

• You can also contact the Learning Development Centre (LDC) in your School. The LDCs provide advice and guidance on all aspects of academic development, including academic writing, study skills, ICT help and more. Regardless of your grades, they can help you get to grips with the feedback that you’ve received on your course, and to develop an action plan for improving next time.

• Could you also discuss your feedback with fellow students? A trusted friend or colleague has more distance from your work and may be able to help you view the feedback more objectively.

• See Sources of Support at GCU for a list of other useful sources of advice and guidance.

Who to ask How to ask Preparing

Questions (1) Questions (2) Skip

How to ask for more feedback?

• As you settle in to University life, you’ll get you know the best way to contact the academic team in your department. Some staff have an open-door policy, others may have designated office hours or ask that you make an appointment.

• If in doubt, email or call your lecturer or Module Leader to ask for a meeting to discuss your feedback. That way, you’ll be sure that they have enough time to answer your questions, and you won’t waste unnecessary time trying to catch them at a convenient time.

• Sometimes you might not need or want a 1:1 meeting if you have a straightforward question that can be answered quickly and easily. If so, email your lecturer or Module Leader with your question(s) – but limit this to simple questions that won’t need in-depth discussion. For more complex questions, it’s usually best to have a face-to-face conversation with the staff member in question.

Who to ask How to ask Preparing

Questions (1) Questions (2) Skip

Preparing for a feedback meeting Be clear on what you want to ask. Take a list of any questions you have with you – it’s easy to get side-

tracked and forget to ask something.

You could email your questions to the staff member in advance if they are likely to be pressed for time or if you have complex questions.

Take a notepad and pen with you and jot down anything that you’ll need to remember. This could be useful information, or could be clarification on what you’ve done well and what you can do to improve.

Remember to ask questions if you still don’t understand something – the aim of the meeting is for you to feel clearer on the feedback that you’ve received and how you can use it to improve future work.

Remember that you can ask questions about anything else that you’d like clarification or help with. If you were unsure about any aspect of completing the assignment, take the opportunity to ask your lecturer for feedback on this. It may be content-specific or more general, e.g. around referencing, structure, analysis etc.

Who to ask How to ask Preparing

Questions (1) Questions (2) Skip

Questions you might consider asking (1 of 2)

If not, ask your lecturer to clarify when and how you will receive your feedback.

• Do you know where to find your feedback?• Have you received it?

If not, ask your lecturer if they could explain what they’ve written and what it means.

• Is the feedback in an accessible format? • If it’s handwritten, can you read it?• Do you understand the language and terminology

used? • Do you understand any abbreviations or

punctuation used?

Who to ask How to ask Preparing

Questions (1) Questions (2) Skip

Questions you might consider asking (2 of 2)If not, ask your lecturer to go over the learning criteria with you and explain what you could do to improve.

• Do you agree with the feedback provided? • Do you think your mark was fair? • Did you get the grade you were expecting?

If not, ask your lecturer to help identify your strengths and weaknesses against the learning criteria.

• Can you identify your strengths from the feedback received?

• Can you identify 1 or 2 actions that you could take to improve your mark next time?

If ‘yes’, ask your lecturer if they can recommend any additional reading, services or workshops that may benefit you.

• Do you feel you need additional help or support following your feedback on this assessment?

Who to ask How to ask Preparing

Questions (1) Questions (2) Skip

Sources of support at GCU

Visit the Feedback for Future Learning website

Contact your Programme Leader or Module Leader

Contact your Learning Development Centre

Access GCU Support Services

Access SMILE

Visit the Students’ Association

Contact a Student Mentor

Contact Us

If you’re still not sure of who to contact or if you’d like any further information or support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at the contact details below and we’ll be happy to help.

Feedback for Future LearningBritannia Building70 Cowcaddens RoadGlasgow, G4 0BA

Web: www.gcu.ac.uk/futurelearningEmail: studentfeedback@gcu.ac.uk

Done...

Well done – you’ve now completed this learning unit!

We will now focus on how you can reflect upon, and use, feedback positively at University and beyond.

www.gcu.ac.uk/futurelearning