Developing Student Feedback Literacy Using Educational Technology and the Reflective Feedback Conversation

While its importance for promoting learning is well-documented, feedback can only promote learning to the extent that it is acted on by learners. However, there is evidence that students often have difficulty understanding feedback or with knowing how to act on it and/or are not necessarily receptive to the feedback provided. These kinds of problems underscore the importance of including the learner perspective in any consideration of feedback practices. This paper describes an intervention which used the 'reflective feedback conversation' and educational technologies to provide written feedback to students in University level Spanish language classes. The aim of the study was to improve learner uptake of feedback, develop student agency and self-regulation, increase alignment between teacher and student goals and expectations, and encourage learners to take a more active role in feedback processes as well as reduce teacher workload. Participants were 50 students enrolled in their third semester (pre-intermediate) of a university-level Spanish program. Data included student questionnaires, interviews with the teacher and students (n=9) and documentation of feedback and responses to feedback across a 12-week semester. Questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while interview and documentation data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Despite issues with the technology, the findings demonstrate the potential of this approach for making feedback processes more efficient as well as for improving learning.