An Investigation into Student Experiences of Feedback First

Research has demonstrated that grading has many negative impacts on student mental health, wellbeing and motivation. This study aimed to assess if implementing an “Ungrading” approach, known as Feedback First, would successfully increase student wellbeing and promote personal development. Grades are often tied to student motivation and wellbeing, which can cause drops in self-esteem and resilience. Therefore, the Feedback First approach has been proposed as an alternative to providing grades. It emphasises feedback which can help promote personal development skills, autonomy and engagement in the learning process. The Psychology, Sport and Wellbeing programmes at the University of Lincoln implemented Feedback First as a new approach to assess and provide feedback to first year students, and this study collected student feedback about their thoughts and experiences of Feedback First. Five participants (One first year student, five second year students; one male, five female) were recruited to take part in a focus group and had the opportunity to discuss Feedback First in a group environment. The results showed that students felt negatively about Feedback First largely due to poor feedback, and that it led to a decrease in motivation for assessments. The implications of these findings were that Feedback First may not be currently feasible when being applied to students in the UK until it is reformed.