Feedback on Feedback: An Exploratory Case Study of Online Facilitators' Perceptions Regarding Their Feedback Practices in Higher Education
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| Title: | Feedback on Feedback: An Exploratory Case Study of Online Facilitators' Perceptions Regarding Their Feedback Practices in Higher Education |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Nazarana Mather (ORCID |
| Source: | Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education. 2025 26(1):220-232. |
| Availability: | Anadolu University. Office of the Rector, Eskisehir, 26470, Turkey. Tel: +90-222-335-34-53; Fax: +90-222-335-34-86; e-mail: rektor@anadolu.edu.tr; e-mail: TOJDE@anadolu.edu.tr; Web site: http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Feedback (Response), Private Colleges, Facilitators (Individuals), Online Courses, Computer Mediated Communication, Foreign Countries, Distance Education, College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Positive Reinforcement, Learning Processes, College Students, Student Motivation |
| Geographic Terms: | South Africa |
| ISSN: | 1302-6488 |
| Abstract: | Feedback is one of the most powerful tools for teaching and learning. Providing meaningful feedback to students is of particular importance in an online context as it is a direct way for the facilitator to engage with their students and to provide them with individual, tailored support. This study sought to explore the perceptions of online facilitators (OFs) regarding meaningful feedback in a Higher Education (HE) online learning environment. Using a qualitative exploratory case study design, 45 OFs affiliated to a South African based private higher education institution (PHEI) were approached participate in this study to share their understanding of what they believed constitutes meaningful feedback. Data were collected through focus groups and analyzed using content analysis. It was found that whilst each of the OFs who participated in this study sincerely believed their feedback to be meaningful there were aspects of their practice that did not align with what the literature suggests about the nature of meaningful feedback. Their understanding of meaningful feedback is feedback that emphasizes students' processes and strategies rather than personal attributes. They perceive meaningful feedback as detailed, specific, and focused on task requirements and strategies, ensuring that students understand their successes and areas for improvement. Implementation of feedforward practices, despite an understanding of its importance, and the use of different methods and platforms to provide feedback were found to be areas for development. It could be concluded that the way in which the participants viewed the quality of the feedback that they provided to their students was not always in keeping with the benchmark criteria as set out in the research. In response to these findings the researchers have made suggestions that future research and professional development initiatives should focus on addressing these barriers and finding practical ways to provide accessible feedback to students more meaningfully and efficiently. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1458602 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Feedback on Feedback: An Exploratory Case Study of Online Facilitators' Perceptions Regarding Their Feedback Practices in Higher Education – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nazarana+Mather%22">Nazarana Mather</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5816-437X">0000-0002-5816-437X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liesl+Scheepers%22">Liesl Scheepers</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2460-4744">0000-0002-2460-4744</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Turkish+Online+Journal+of+Distance+Education%22"><i>Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 26(1):220-232. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Anadolu University. Office of the Rector, Eskisehir, 26470, Turkey. Tel: +90-222-335-34-53; Fax: +90-222-335-34-86; e-mail: rektor@anadolu.edu.tr; e-mail: TOJDE@anadolu.edu.tr; Web site: http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/ – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 13 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Feedback+%28Response%29%22">Feedback (Response)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Private+Colleges%22">Private Colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Facilitators+%28Individuals%29%22">Facilitators (Individuals)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Online+Courses%22">Online Courses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+Mediated+Communication%22">Computer Mediated Communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Distance+Education%22">Distance Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Faculty%22">College Faculty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Positive+Reinforcement%22">Positive Reinforcement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Processes%22">Learning Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Motivation%22">Student Motivation</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Africa%22">South Africa</searchLink> – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1302-6488 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Feedback is one of the most powerful tools for teaching and learning. Providing meaningful feedback to students is of particular importance in an online context as it is a direct way for the facilitator to engage with their students and to provide them with individual, tailored support. This study sought to explore the perceptions of online facilitators (OFs) regarding meaningful feedback in a Higher Education (HE) online learning environment. Using a qualitative exploratory case study design, 45 OFs affiliated to a South African based private higher education institution (PHEI) were approached participate in this study to share their understanding of what they believed constitutes meaningful feedback. Data were collected through focus groups and analyzed using content analysis. It was found that whilst each of the OFs who participated in this study sincerely believed their feedback to be meaningful there were aspects of their practice that did not align with what the literature suggests about the nature of meaningful feedback. Their understanding of meaningful feedback is feedback that emphasizes students' processes and strategies rather than personal attributes. They perceive meaningful feedback as detailed, specific, and focused on task requirements and strategies, ensuring that students understand their successes and areas for improvement. Implementation of feedforward practices, despite an understanding of its importance, and the use of different methods and platforms to provide feedback were found to be areas for development. It could be concluded that the way in which the participants viewed the quality of the feedback that they provided to their students was not always in keeping with the benchmark criteria as set out in the research. In response to these findings the researchers have made suggestions that future research and professional development initiatives should focus on addressing these barriers and finding practical ways to provide accessible feedback to students more meaningfully and efficiently. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1458602 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 13 StartPage: 220 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Feedback (Response) Type: general – SubjectFull: Private Colleges Type: general – SubjectFull: Facilitators (Individuals) Type: general – SubjectFull: Online Courses Type: general – SubjectFull: Computer Mediated Communication Type: general – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Distance Education Type: general – SubjectFull: College Faculty Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Positive Reinforcement Type: general – SubjectFull: Learning Processes Type: general – SubjectFull: College Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Motivation Type: general – SubjectFull: South Africa Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Feedback on Feedback: An Exploratory Case Study of Online Facilitators' Perceptions Regarding Their Feedback Practices in Higher Education Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Nazarana Mather – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Liesl Scheepers IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1302-6488 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 26 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education Type: main |
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