Student Feedback and Learning
Students rely on professor feedback on assignments to deepen their learning and to gauge how they are doing in their classes. Unfortunately, there can be a disconnect between the quantity and type of feedback students want and instructors’ ideas on what is useful and helpful to their students. The resources below provide advice derived from the literature to give students high quality feedback.
Student Feedback – Links to Resources
A Different Way to Deliver Student Feedback
- Student-centered approach to providing students with feedback
How to Give Students Better Feedback with Technology
- Importance of Student Feedback & Tips for Giving Student Feedback
Giving Effective Feedback on Writing Assignments
Mechanisms to Provide Student Feedback
There is no one “right” way to give feedback. It depends on course learning objectives, student needs, and available resources.
- Rubrics (see February bulletin).
- Written Annotations – can be given electronically or hard copy.
- Audio and video – audio and video file with faculty verbally giving student feedback. Helpful in that student can read body language, hear tone, etc. Can be quicker than annotated feedback.
- One-on-one meetings with the student – opens space for dialogue and questions.
- Peer Review- especially helpful in large classes.
Feedback Checklist
- Frequent – consistent, “check-ins”
- Specific – detailed with instructions for future improvement; avoid vague comments like “not strong enough”
- Balanced – studies have shown that too harsh or too many criticisms are not beneficial for student improvement. Ensure feedback highlights both strengths and a limited number of specific areas that can be improved.
- Timely – Aim to get feedback to student between 2 – 15 days after assignment was submitted.