The LMS as actor: how learning management systems shape and constrain feedback practices

This study examines how a bespoke learning management system (LMS) mediates feedback in a hybrid general education program. Using data from a qualitative case study and adopting a sociomaterial perspective, the analysis explores how the LMS shapes what feedback becomes possible, valued, and enacted. The findings reveal that the platform influences feedback processes by constraining faculty autonomy, enabling institutional oversight, and redistributing responsibility away from students. These findings supporting growing calls to critically consider how digital platforms participate in educational practice rather than treating technology as a neutral delivery mechanism.