Enhancing Student Engagement with Feedback at the Programme Level Using Digital Tools

Academic lead in the Department of Biosciences: Dr Mathilde Roger

Leads from DCAD: Julie Mulvey & Sumetha Karthigeyen

About the study

Aim: The project aimed to empower students to become active recipients of feedback by developing a centralised digital platform — the Student Feedback Journal — enabling them to record, reflect on, and apply feedback across modules and assessments throughout their degree.

Design: Using PebblePad, the team co-developed a feedback journal tool with student interns, who also created peer-led instructional videos. A pilot with 10 students was followed by a survey and focus group. The tool launched in the 2024–2025 academic year for Level 1 and 2 Biosciences students and was embedded into academic advising and departmental communications.

Findings: The project highlighted the importance of programme-level feedback integration and student ownership of learning. A follow-up survey is planned to assess long-term impact.

Benefits of the Collaborative Innovation Grant

The academic and DCAD leads shared what they considered to be the main benefits of the Collaborative Innovation Grant.

• Enhanced Feedback Culture: Promoted feedback as a continuous, programme-level learning tool and support students’ feedback literacy   
• Student Empowerment: The process encourages students to take ownership of their learning journey. Interns gained valuable skills in digital pedagogy, video production, and research collaboration. One intern continues to work on the project, contributing to a co-authored research paper.
• Scholarly Dissemination: Enabled presentations at national and international conferences, including the HEA Assessment Conference and the Transforming Assessment Webinar Series.
• Resource Development: Supported the creation of peer-led instructional materials and staff guidance for broader institutional adoption.
• Professional Development: Raised the profile of project leads and contributed to Durham’s reputation for pedagogical innovation.
• Critical Funding Support: Without the funding, it would not have been possible to dedicate time to developing the resources, working with interns, or attending conferences to share the learning from the study.

Learn more about the findings of the study

Presentations with recordings:

• Transforming Assessment Webinar Series (2024) Encouraging self-feedback practices and engagement with feedback at the programme level using e-portfolio

Other activities (in chronological order):

• 2023 L&T Conference-Talk: Enhancing student engagement with feedback at the programme level using digital tools
• 2024 International Assessment in Higher Education Conference– Talk: Encouraging self-feedback practices and engagement with feedback at the programme level using e-portfolio
• Biosciences SharePoint page with extra information My-Feedback-Journal (Internal access only)