Feedback on feedback

Northumbria University hosts a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) which specialises in the ‘Assessment for Learning’ Agenda (AfL). This agenda developed in response to the diverse needs and competencies of Northumbria’s learners. But are the issues addressed by AfL solely a concern in Northumbria? What challenges and possible solutions might other Higher Education institutions encounter or offer? This paper addresses such questions, by identifying, analysing, and reflecting upon an issue in student learning and support, relevant to the discipline of English Literature in another Higher Education teaching context: the attitudes of students and staff to feedback in the School of English, Queen’s University Belfast (2007). To do so, it references national statistical data, and general and subject-specific educational research and literature. As such, this paper offers 'feedback on feedback', exploring dialogue between teachers and learners.