Educators’ pre-Covid19 lived experience of the assessment and feedback policy at a UK higher education institution

This study was conducted before the Covid19 pandemic. It used an interpretative thematic analysis approach to inquire about educators’ experiences of assessment and feedback policy and their views on assessment feedback. Eighteen teaching staff from a UK-based higher education institution expressed their opinions on various factors that facilitated or hindered the adoption of the assessment and feedback policy, along with their perceptions of assessment and feedback. The policy required that teaching staff provide feedback using technology such as Turnitin, with a two-week turnaround. Three themes were developed from the interpretative thematic analysis: 1) assessment and feedback policy as a personal and professional challenge, 2) mixed perceptions on the effectiveness of feedback, and 3) facilitating conditions for a successful assessment and feedback policy implementation. Workload and time constraints appeared to be the most prominent issues across all the interviews, affecting educators at every level of their professional and personal experiences. Insufficient time for attending meetings, providing timely and quality feedback, conducting research, pursuing professional development, and engaging in innovative strategies created tension between educators’ engagement and commitment to enhancing students learning and the pressure imposed by assessment and feedback policy demands. This research has implications for both educators and their professional development. Additionally, it can inform the university’s internal development of assessment practices and possibly broaden the understanding of assessment and feedback, particularly regarding the potential mismatch between the assessment and feedback policy and educators’ experiences and expectations