Feedback is fundamental to the educational development of engineering students. Students have often transitioned from a more supervised and directed style of learning in Further Education to becoming independent self-directed learners in Higher Education. As independent learners, feedback is of key importance as it offers both guidance and reassurance. A failure to engage with feedback could therefore have detrimental impacts on the learning experience. Arguably, feedback is most needed by those students who achieve lower grades. However, there exists a gap in current knowledge regarding which students access feedback, and if and how this feedback is then used. This original study aims to understand the types of students who engage with feedback and what this engagement looks like. The grades and feedback engagement records of 577 level 6 students in one module over 5 years were analysed, followed by interviews with 21 of the same students. Finally, 3 workshops each consisting of 4 students were undertaken. The results reveal that the higher a student’s grades the more likely they are to access and utilise feedback. However, the students who are arguably most in need of the feedback due to receiving lower grades are the one of the groups least likely to access and action the feedback. There is a dichotomy between the type of feedback students want and the type they receive, and students across all grade boundaries believe feedback to be largely generic with little relevance to future module success. This research provides original insight into feedback actions and preferences of students and proposes solutions to redesign feedback to enhance student development.
