In this episode of interrogating spaces, Dr Emily Salines takes us on an exploration of feedback practice, and how we might take a more compassionate approach.

The impact of feedback on student learning is well documented in educational literature. We also know that it is a critical area of practice where the emotional impact of assessment is at play. We speak with a number of practitioners, teachers and students to set out to map a framework for compassionate feedback practice and how we might enact it 

The questions we are asking are:

• How can we harness feedback to support learning in a way that does no harm and supports students?
• How can we use feedback to foster belonging?
• Can compassion help us? And what would compassionate feedback look like?

This work is part of the QAA collaborative enhancement project on ‘Belonging through assessment: pipelines of compassion’ with UAL, Glasgow School of Art and Leeds Arts University.

Speakers:

Liz Bunting is an Educational Developer at University of the Arts London, where she co-leads a programme of educational development on Fostering Belonging and Compassionate Pedagogy. She supports colleagues in creating educational ecosystems that promote social justice through compassionate cultures, policies and practices. Her research investigates belonging, compassion and trauma informed care in Higher Education.

Vikki Hill is an Educational Developer: Attainment (Identity and Cultural Experience) in the Academic Enhancement Team at University of the Arts London (UAL). A Senior Fellow of the HEA, Vikki works with staff to support equitable outcomes and experiences for students. Vikki’s research is focused on educational development, compassionate assessment, pedagogies and policies through arts-based and posthuman approaches.

Dr Emily Salines is a former member of the Academic Enhancement Team at UAL, where, as Educational Developer she co-led the Enhancing Assessment for Equity strand of Academic Enhancement work until September 22. She is now Head of Education Programmes at Queen Mary Academy (Queen Mary University of London). Her research focuses on assessment design, assessment for social justice and approaches to compassionate feedback.

 Dr Anna Troisi is Course Leader for the BSc Creative Computing at the Creative Computing Institute (CCI), UAL. Anna is a member of the UAL Ethics Research committee. Her initiatives to promote social justice with the introduction of non-violent communication enhanced students’ experience and enabled students’ agency in the curriculum.

 Dr Victoria Odeniyi is a Decolonising Arts Institute research fellow where she leads the Reimagining Conversations research project which seeks to raise critical awareness of the educational and creative potential of the use of language. She has research and professional interests in educational inequality, linguistic diversity and institutionalised knowledge production and how these issues intersect with race and identity.  

Student contributions:
Simbi Juwon-Sulaiman: Graphic Communication, Central St Martins, UAL 
Amina Akhmedova: Fine Art, Chelsea College of Arts, UAL