Work in progress — Using multiple methods to investigate the role of feedback in open-ended activities

While providing opportunities for students to engage in open-ended, ambiguous problems allows students to develop skills for responding to ambiguity and applying knowledge in practical ways, it can be difficult for instructors to assess student work when students' solutions are very different from each other. However, to promote student learning, it is essential that instructors provide feedback - particularly in the form of formative feedback that allows students to revise their work before submitting their final solution. In this study, we investigate the challenges associated with providing feedback, the challenges that students face in responding to feedback, and the impact of the feedback on student work. We do this by investigating the role of feedback through multiple data collection methods: collection of artifacts - copies of student work (and copies of instructor and peer feedback), interviews conducted with students and with teaching assistants, and video recordings of the students as they work to address the feedback and revise their solution. Through these multiple lenses, we are beginning to uncover challenges and strategies for success in both providing and responding to feedback. These findings provide opportunities to design and re-design instructional materials that equip teaching assistants and students with skills to provide feedback, and to equip student with skills to respond to feedback.