The processes by which feedback is gathered from students and courses evaluated provide challenges and difficulties. How much feedback is needed? Which instruments should be used? When should the feedback be gathered? From whom should the feedback be gathered? What does the feedback tell us? Does the process really improve the learning experience? These are all questions that concern tutors who wish to understand the educational experience of their students. This paper aims to offer some support and encouragement for tutors who are thinking about the evaluation process at course or module level. An action research model is adopted. A module leader (the practitioner) seeks improvement in feedback gathering and evaluation processes. Experiences with a new first year undergraduate module are described and the various ways in which feedback was obtained are evaluated. It is not the intention to evaluate the module in question but to evaluate the forms of student feedback. Feedback that occurs naturally as part of the teaching/learning process is set alongside structured feedback instruments. Implications for tutors involved in feedback and evaluation are considered and suggestions offered.
