Feedback, Feedforward, and Reflective Learning in Higher Ed

This essay examines the importance of reflection on feedback and feedforward within the context of higher education, utilizing Gibbs' Reflective Cycle as a framework. It delves into the student's personal experience with feedback as a learning method, highlighting feelings of nervousness and stress related to academic concepts. The essay discusses the development and implementation of an action plan to improve understanding and performance. It emphasizes that feedback provides valuable insights and highlights the nature and goals of formative feedback and feedforward. Furthermore, it explores how the Gibbs model can be used to reflect on both feedback and feedforward, ultimately informing and improving future formative and summative assessments by identifying weak areas and guiding future actions. The essay concludes that reflection on feedback and feedforward is crucial for academic success, enabling students to learn from mistakes and adopt effective strategies.

ORIENTATION FOR SUCCESS
IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
The aim of the present essay is to study a model of reflection and reflective learning to
determine the importance of reflection on feedback and feed forward. Reflective learning is a
method that makes a student learn by reflecting upon one’s own ideas. It is a more conscious
approach towards learning (Adeani, Febriani and Syafryadin, 2020). Feedback is defined as
assessing the current performance. It provides information about the areas where a person
performed well as well as those areas which were weak. Feed forward is defined as provision of
constructive guidance about the future assessments. The present essay will focus on the use of
Gibbs reflective model. It will also provide description about approach to feedback and feed-
forward. Further, the essay will throw light upon the ways in which reflection of feedback and
feed-forward inform and improve formative and summative assessments.
TASK
Reflection is defined as process of specifying information or reflecting own self, in term
of strengths, and weaknesses that individual person have. In the recent time, in order to make an
appropriate reflection, individuals prefer to utilize the best model and that is Gibbs reflective
cycle. It encompasses six types of stages or elements that drive the attention of users toward
improving or developing their skills. By applying the same model, I want to describe my
experience as learning approach for success in higher education. I had developed my
understanding about varied academic concepts, by using feedback as learning method. It is one
of the best way that drive the attention of each student toward learning or understanding any
concept in appropriate manner. I want to reflect my personal experience as feeling related to
comprehending process. I feel nervous and stressed because of not posing excellent knowledge
about academic terms that play important role in my career success and growth, especially in
case of higher education. It is essential for me to get better or high score in the class, more than
the other students that is possible when I consider the best approach and utilize the same. I had
take initiative to develop an action plan, which include the most effective techniques with time
duration. I will apply each technique to learns some new topics that is essential for me to do that.
By referring to Gibbs Reflective model, I want to specify some points as it has been concluded
that feedback has improved my growth and enhanced my performance. There are multiple
methods and techniques accessible in the world that I also used for learning, and understanding

academic content, which allow me to obtain high score in higher education, that I tend to
complete. I really work hard to reach desire outcomes as aim achievement that play important
role in my personal and professional career success in the recent time, when the job market and
academic world lead to increase competition. With the help of an action plan I had reached
desire outcomes in effective manner.
Feedback can be regarded as an opportunity that provides insights. In order to succeed, it
is important to communicate about the status of the project, and its loopholes in a positive and
functioning way. The nature and goal of formative feedback is to conduct proper monitoring of
the student and provide feedback accordingly which can be further used by both the instructors
and the students to improve their teaching and learning respectively. The nature of feedforward
is such that it focuses on the subsequent assignments of the students. Its aim is to provide
constructive guidance to the students. Gibbs model can be used for reflecting on feedback as
well as feedforward (Adeani, Febriani and Syafryadin, 2020). The five stages of the Gibbs
model can be used to determine the reactions and feelings of the student about the feedback
leading to its evaluation. Further the student can analyze and reach to conclusion regarding the
feedback and make action plan accordingly. Similarly, Gibbs can be used for reflecting upon the
feedforward where the reactions and feelings of the student can be determined about the future –
oriented options suggested to him (Dhaliwal, Singh and Singh, 2018). Further, after evaluation of
the options and their analysis, the student can come to conclusions and make an appropriate
action plan for implementing the feedforward options.
Reflective approach to feedback and feedforward can inform as well as improve future
formative and summative assessments. Reflective approach to feedbacks helps in identifying the
areas where the student did not perform well. By reflecting on those areas, care can be taken to
perform better in the formative and summative assessments. This reflection of feedback makes
the students aware about their mistakes which they can avoid while doing the formative and the
summative assessments (Harro-Loit, 2019). Thus, they can not only avoid the mistakes but also
learn about the improved methods of attempting the assignments. Reflection on feedforward can
provide the students with information about the future oriented actions and solutions. These
guide them regarding the future path they can take to improve their work even further. Hence,
reflection on feedforward assists in informing the students about the strategy to be adopted while

undertaking formative and summative assessments (Wolstencroft and De Main, 2021). This
helps them to improve and use their strengths to make the assessments in a better and informed
manner. Moreover, this assists the students in taking a positive approach towards doing the
assignments.
In conclusion, it can be analyzed that the aim of the present essay was to reflect upon the
feedback and feedforward and their importance in formative and summative assessments. Gibbs
model can be used for reflecting on the feedback as well as the feed forward. Reflection on
feedback helps in informing about the formative and summative assessment by providing
information about the weak areas and mistakes. Reflection on feedforward helps in providing
guidance to the students about the future actions and steps to be taken. Hence, it informs about
the strategy to b adopted while undertaking formative and summative assessments.

REFERENCES
Journals and Books
Adeani, I.S., Febriani, R.B. and Syafryadin, S., 2020. USING GIBBS’REFLECTIVE CYCLE IN
MAKING REFLECTIONS OF LITERARY ANALYSIS. Indonesian EFL Journal. 6(2).
pp.139-148.
Dhaliwal, U., Singh, S. and Singh, N., 2018. Reflective student narratives: honing
professionalism and empathy. Indian J Med Ethics. 3(1). pp.9-15.
Harro-Loit, H., 2019. Feedback and feedforward as a dialogic communication in the learning
environment. The Essence of Academic Performance. 18. p.2019.
Wolstencroft, P. and De Main, L., 2021. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that before?’Engaging
undergraduate students in feedback and feedforward within UK higher
education. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 45(3). pp.312-323.