Fostering student engagement with feedback: an integrated approach

The construct of student engagement with feedback has gathered increasing attention in higher education because of its positive association with student learning outcomes. But while the literature recognises its importance, there is little research on what pedagogical approaches facilitate this engagement. This case study explores an authentic classroom and how a group of 33 students engaged with a pedagogical approach that systematically integrated three types of feedback on academic writing: automated, peer, and teacher feedback. The study was conducted at a Chinese university and based on the analysis of multiple drafts of students’ written assignments, the feedback provided by an automated writing evaluation system, peers, and a teacher, and transcribed retrospective interviews with the teacher and students. We found that the majority of students actively engaged with this integrated approach and that it effectively promoted students’ behavioural, affective, and cognitive engagement with feedback on their writing and encouraged thoughtful revisions. We conclude with pedagogical implications and offer suggestions for improving student engagement with feedback in similar tertiary contexts