The impact of immediate grading and feedback in a business school context

Faced with the challenge of finding effective ways to engage students and improve learning outcomes, coupled with a change in the University programme structure, Suzanne Doria, Senior Lecturer at the School of Business and Law, Buckinghamshire New University, has been exploring the use of immediate grading and feedback as part of the assessment strategy on BA (Hons) Business Management, for which she is the course lead. In this blog she explores how this approach can transform the student experience and address longstanding issues in traditional assessment methods.

The challenges of traditional assessment

For years, our standard approach to assessment feedback followed a predictable pattern: students submit an essay or report, wait for weeks, and then receive feedback through an online platform. While this method has its merits, it also presented several challenges:

1. Limited engagement with the written feedback

2. Comprehension issues between staff intentions and student interpretations

3. Timing concerns making feedback less relevant

4. Inadequate support for the transition to Higher Education (HE)

5. Failure to capitalise on critical early weeks

6. Insufficient timely support for struggling students

7. The need for more agile assessment strategies due to curriculum changes and rise in generative AI

A bold new approach: Immediate feedback assessment

Recognising these challenges, I decided it was time for a radical change. I designed an approach that would address these issues head-on and provide our students with a more engaging, supportive learning experience.

The key to our new strategy was a complete redesign of the assessment itself. We replaced the traditional essay with a comprehensive portfolio, carefully crafted to develop essential skills for academic and professional success. It encompassed research skills, referencing techniques, and critical reflection.

But changing the assessment was not enough. I implemented a scaffolded learning approach, dedicating valuable in-class time to working on the portfolio. This ensured students had the support and resources they needed to succeed.

The most innovative aspect of our strategy was the introduction of same-day grades and feedback. Students submitted their portfolios in the morning, and throughout that day, we conducted one-on-one feedback sessions with each student. It was an intense day for our tutors, but it eliminated the usual weeks-long wait for feedback.

These sessions were more than just quick grade deliveries. Tutors spent time with each student, marking the portfolio together and providing instant grades and personalised feedback. It was a chance for real dialogue, allowing students to ask questions and tutors to clarify their comments in real-time.

To cap off the experience, we invited students to a nearby space with refreshments after their feedback sessions. This celebration of completing their first module fostered a sense of community and accomplishment.

Overcoming implementation challenges

Implementing this new strategy was not without its challenges. Scheduling one-on-one sessions for an entire cohort was a logistical puzzle. Ensuring consistent, high-quality feedback across all tutors required extensive preparation including clear marking guidelines. But perhaps my biggest worry was about attendance. Would students see the value in coming to campus for these brief sessions?

The transformative impact

Despite these challenges, the results were remarkable. Not only did students show up, but these feedback sessions had the highest attendance of any module activity.

The impact on pass rates was positive. Every single student who submitted the portfolio passed; a significant improvement from the previous year's 61% pass rate for a similar module. This was a clear indication that our new approach was helping students engage more effectively with the material.

Perhaps even more impressive was the impact on academic integrity. We went from 13 cases of academic misconduct in the previous year's comparable module, to zero, not a single case. This powerfully validated our belief that more authentic, skills-based assessments could address this perennial issue.

From a staff perspective, while the feedback day was intense, it actually reduced our overall workload. With no need for reassessments and no academic misconduct cases to investigate, we found ourselves with more time to focus on teaching and supporting our students in other ways.

But for me, the most rewarding aspect was seeing the enhanced interaction between students and tutors. Those one-on-one sessions provided a unique opportunity for immediate clarification of feedback and allowed us to check in on our students' wellbeing.

Student perspectives

The student response to this new assessment strategy was overwhelmingly positive. In a module review, students rated their satisfaction highly, with an average score of 1.8 out of 5 (where 1 is strongly agree and 5 is strongly disagree).

Students reported significant benefits, including improved communication skills, better self-awareness, enhanced confidence, development of leadership skills, and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Reflections and future directions

As I reflect on the success of this initiative, I'm excited about its future development. I am planning to implement the assessment strategy again with refinements based on feedback from tutors and students.

I am designing a comprehensive survey to gain richer insights into how students perceive and benefit from this immediate feedback approach. Perhaps most ambitious is our plan for expansion. The success we have seen has caught the attention of colleagues across the School, and we are exploring how we might roll out this assessment initiative to other programmes.

Conclusion: A step towards more effective learning

This experience has reinforced my belief that we need to continuously question and evolve our practices in higher education. By addressing the limitations of traditional methods and embracing a more immediate, personalised approach to feedback, we have created a more supportive and effective learning environment.

Yes, implementing change on this scale requires significant effort. But the rewards, as we have seen, can be truly transformative for both students and institutions alike. I hope that by sharing our story, we might inspire others in the education community to explore new approaches to assessment and feedback.