Why students ignore feedback – and the free tool helping them to use it constructively

A new free online platform is tackling one of higher education’s most persistent problems – how students engage with and constructively use feedback they receive from academics.

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Developed by an international team led by the University of Surrey and funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, Feedback emPower Tools gives students and users practical ways to understand, process and act on feedback – even when it feels confusing, overwhelming or wrong.

Despite feedback being central to learning, many people struggle to engage with it. Research shows this is not usually down to laziness, but because using feedback requires skills rarely taught explicitly, including emotional regulation, critical thinking and action planning.

The platform provides a series of themed “PowerPacks”, each focused on a common challenge. These include short explainer videos, interactive activities and downloadable tools that help students reflect on feedback and identify clear next steps.

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools we have for learning, but it only works if students know how to use it. Too often, we assume those skills are obvious when they’re not.

Unlike traditional feedback systems that rely on dialogue with tutors, the resource is designed for modern learning environments, where students are often studying remotely, asynchronously or in large cohorts with limited access to personalised support.

Feedback emPower Tools is about making that hidden process visible. We’re giving learners practical strategies to make sense of feedback, take control of it and use it to improve, regardless of their circumstances. Professor Naomi Winstone, Professor of Educational Psychology

The tool builds on over a decade of research into “feedback literacy” and evolved from earlier work used internationally, including in schools, universities and even prison education programmes.

Importantly, all materials are free to use, adapt and embed into teaching under an open licence, meaning universities can integrate them directly into courses or virtual learning environments.

Although developed in a higher education context, the tool has clear applications beyond universities. The same challenges seen in students are common in the workplace, where employees are expected to respond to performance reviews, peer feedback and ongoing evaluation without formal training in how to do so. Professor Naomi Winstone, Professor of Educational Psychology

For more information on Feedback emPower Tools, please visit www.feedbackempowertools.com

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