Description
This session shares how learner voice can inform improvements across university EFL courses. Drawing on 128 anonymized survey responses, it explains how feedback was collected, how themes were identified in open-ended comments, and how findings were used to refine teaching and course design in areas such as class atmosphere, speaking opportunities, workload, and group rotations. Participants will leave with ideas for applying student feedback in their own teaching contexts.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
The presentation begins with an overview of anonymized student feedback data from multiple university-level English courses, followed by examples of teaching changes implemented in response to that feedback. Participants will be guided through categorizing sample student comments into actionable themes and strategies for using learner feedback in future class implementation. Participants will be prompted to consider their own teaching contexts and how they can apply learner feedback.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Participants will leave with ideas for how they can turn student feedback into instructional action. Takeaways include sample survey questions and an action-planning template for translating feedback into course adjustments. Example data (n=128) illustrate how learner goals, perceptions of class atmosphere, and other factors can inform meaningful changes in teaching. The session concludes with participants considering at least one feedback-informed change they can implement in a future course.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate a practical workflow for closing the feedback loop in university EFL classes. The session shows how teachers can collect focused learner feedback, identify actionable themes from open-ended comments, and apply these insights to course design. Participants will learn how to move from student voice to concrete teaching decisions that support learner agency, motivation, and engagement beyond the classroom.
Abstract section 5: References
Bovill, C. (2020). Co-creating learning and teaching: Towards relational pedagogy in higher education. Critical Publishing.
Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: Enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(8), 1315-1325.
Carless, D., & Winstone, N. (2023). Teacher feedback literacy and its interplay with student feedback literacy. Teaching in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1782372
Mercer-Mapstone, L., & Abbot, S. (Eds.). (2020). The power of partnership: Students, staff, and faculty revolutionizing higher education. Center for Engaged Learning.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Learner voice can drive learner-centered course design and support agency beyond the classroom when feedback is treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-time evaluation. Partnership and co-creation research in higher education emphasizes that students' perspectives can inform teaching and learning design (Bovill, 2020; Mercer-Mapstone & Abbot, 2020). Feedback research also highlights that "closing the loop" depends on learners' and teachers' feedback literacy and visible responses to input (Carless & Boud, 2018; Carless & Winstone, 2023). This session demonstrates a practical workflow for collecting, interpreting, and acting on student feedback to turn local voice into transferable teaching practices.
| Title | From Feedback to Action: Learner Voice Beyond the Classroom |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |