Human and non-human feedback sources: What are human strengths and limitations?
Professor Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong
Research evidence and NSS data over the last twenty years or so suggest that feedback processes, (however defined), are not fully meeting the needs of undergraduate students. What are some of the key characteristics of useful feedback processes? Presumably, feedback should be timely, accurate, actionable and offer a judicious blend of support and critique. Useful human feedback faces numerous challenges, including heavy teacher workloads, student reticence to engage pro-actively in feedback processes, anonymous mass higher education, and the way university courses are structured with heavily weighted assignments at their conclusion. To what extent does GenAI offer potential to mitigate these challenges or instead create a host of other problems? Drawing on relevant literature, co-authored recent research, unpublished data from work-in-progress and my own evolving thoughts, I try to address the strengths and limitations of human versus non-human feedback sources. What do humans particularly add to feedback processes, within the recurrent limitations of time and resources? How can GenAI complement human feedback, and what are its strengths and weaknesses? What are the prospects for hybrid combinations of human and non-human feedback sources? The workshop raises more questions than answers, and I welcome you to join the conversation.
Biography
David Carless works as a Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong. He is one of the pioneers of feedback literacy research and is listed as a top 0.1% cited researcher in the Stanford top 2% list for social sciences. His books include Designing effective feedback processes in higher education: A learning-focused approach, by Winstone and Carless, 2019 published by Routledge. He was the winner of a University Outstanding Teaching Award in 2016. The latest details of his work are on his website: https://davidcarless.edu.hku.hk/.
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