Students' Reflections on Assessment and Feedback Practices At a South African Higher Education Institution

The importance of feedback in enhancing teaching and learning in higher education institutions is widely acknowledged but there is still a persistent need for improvement. This study explored students' reflections on the feedback they received within their modules from multiple assessment practices. It aimed to examine the nature of the feedback they received as well as the challenges they experienced during the process, and to identify innovative ways to enhance future practice. An interpretative qualitative and quantitative research approach was employed. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire, containing closed and open-ended questions, from 120 randomly selected third-year students from the Faculty of Education at a South African university. The findings revealed that students felt they did not receive sufficient, detailed, relevant and timely feedback after assessment; they valued feedback mainly in terms of quantity, quality and promptness, but there was little concern from students about the extent to which their learning could be facilitated through the feedback received. Recommendations are provided for effective and efficient ways in which feedback can be improved to facilitate student learning, specifically in the context of large student numbers and high lecturer workload.