Large class (500+) assessment in South African higher education is often disconnected. While feedback may be provided, it is frequently vague, generic and poorly timed . As a result, many students do not read their feedback, or if they do, they are unsure how to use it. At the center of this issue is feedback literacy – the ability to understand, value and act on feedback. This study argues that poor lecturer feedback amounts to academic ghosting, contributing to poor student feedback literacy, and ultimately undermining learning. This study explores feedback practices in a first-year communication science module, Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, taught to 1200 students across three campuses. A multi-layered feedback approach was implemented to foster engagement and cultivate feedback literacy, which included detailed rubrics and personalized feedback via Turnitin, followed by “feedback classes”. These classes addressed common mistakes, unpacked strong examples and encouraged reflection. Additionally, a structured remark request form guided students to engage with their feedback before contesting marks. A post-course survey (n = 154) revealed student recognition of feedback as actionable insight (Buckingham et al, 2023), not merely grade justification. Responses reflected increased understanding of using feedback to guide future work. This project draws on a critical understanding of feedback literacy as a socio-political and cultural phenomenon (Nieminen & Carless, 2023). When embedded with care and intention, feedback is not an add-on – it is the assessment. These findings offer insights to improve feedback engagement in large classes and contribute to literature on feedback literacy in resource-constrained environments

Authors:
Rentia du Plessis, University of the Free State, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Rentia du Plessis, lecturer in Communication Science at the University of the Free State. Her work focuses on instructional communication. She is completing a PhD and involved in interdisciplinary research on student belonging and feedback literacy.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rentia-du-plessis-58a36893/details/publications/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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