Optimising feedback throughout the Tourism Personal Development Planning (PDP) curriculum (Optymalizacja informacji zwrotnej w nauczaniu na przykladzie inicjatywy 'planowania rozwoju osobistego' w programie nauczania turystyki)

Abstract

The paper describes how ‘Getting the most out of the assessment process’ workshops within a Level 1 Tourism Personal Development Planning (PDP) module were introduced and evaluated during 2006-2007 at the University of Bedfordshire. These workshops initially stemmed from analysing student data from case study research in a ‘Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning 5 (FDTL5)’ project on ‘Engaging students in assessment feedback: what works?’. The FDTL5 case study had examined a traditional feedback method in a Tourism PDP module where feedback from an early related assessment (reflective and diagnostic essay) is hopefully used in preparing the final summative piece of work (portfolio), thus developing students’ learning. In reflecting about learning, did students explicitly mention learning from the essay feedback, or more generally from other feedback e.g. on drafts? The students’ limited awareness that feedback is part of the learning process was somewhat surprising. Using a range of methods (portfolio content analysis/ interviews/ focus groups), 2006-2007 data were collected and compared with the 2005-2006 student data from the FDTL5 case study. The workshops were found to impact upon students’ awareness of feedback. Workshops now are embedded in the Level 1 Tourism PDP curriculum aiming to raise awareness and empower students to ask appropriate questions, and to encourage reflection, critical in creating lifelong learning [Hinett, 2002]. The paper finishes by considering ways of optimising feedback throughout the PDP undergraduate curriculum, so that tourism students leave university as self-regulated learners who can genuinely use feedback and understand its value.