ANNOTATION: Jenson, Lasse X., Bearman, M. and Boud, D. (2021). Understanding Feedback in Online Learning: A Critical Review and Metaphor Analysis. Computers & Education 173 (4), 104271. doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104271
Jenson et al.’s paper is a critical review of online learning research to explore the way that researchers define and conceive of the concept of “feedback” in e-learning. The researchers completed a qualitative analysis of the language used to describe feedback in four leading research journals and identified six discrete meanings or “understandings” of the term based on what they refer to as conceptual metaphors. Metaphors are helpful in understanding complex concepts in that they provide a simpler, more concrete representation of a term that is by nature abstract and complex. However, in simplifying a complex concept, metaphors create conceptual entailments—that is, they limit a researcher’s view of a concept because they limit how a thing is seen based on the metaphor being used to approximate it.
To complete their work, they analyzed 17 articles published between January 2017-February 2019 in four of the leading journals in e-learning, including Computers & Education, British Journal of Educational Technology, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, and The Internet and Higher Education. They identified six dominant metaphors to help organize the great disparity that exists in the numerous applications of the term, “feedback.”
The six metaphors for feedback that they identify are:
- Feedback is a treatment. (11/17 papers) Feedback serves as an intervention and learning improvement is an effect caused by feedback.
- Feedback is a costly commodity. (5/17 papers). Feedback is positioned as time-consuming and burdensome on faculty.
- Feedback is coaching. (7/17) The main purpose of feedback is to motivate learners.
- Feedback is a command. (5/17 papers) Feedback is controlling and directive.
- Feedback is a learner tool. (7/17) Here, agency lies with the learner to take the feedback and apply it to further learning.
- Feedback is a dialogue. (6/17 papers). The most in line with contemporary thinking on the value of feedback, here feedback is a productive discussion between the learner and peers or the instructor, and the learner then applies the feedback to improve performance.
The findings of this study indicate that only the last two of the six feedback metaphors that are used in the research relate specifically to known best practices for learner-centric practice. The first four of the metaphors reflect feedback practices that are considered inappropriate among researchers because they place the instructor as the main agent in the feedback process and assume that this feedback automatically leads to learning.
Overall, they found little agreement among instructors and students about what the purpose of feedback is. They conclude that if researchers are attempting to improve practice for educators and learners, they need to be clear about their definition of feedback in order to be specific about the effect of that feedback and about any improvements that need to be made as a result. Researchers also need to focus their work on the kinds of feedback that are widely considered to be good feedback practices.
Susan Gedutis Lindsay 