1. Tutors: providing feedback Students: using tutor feedback
Making written feedback more effective
Tutors: providing
feedback
how can we make it easier for students to understand our comments and act on them?
Students:
using tutor
feedback
Text
what strategies can students use to unpack feedback and take actions to develop skills?

2. What is it like for students when they get their feedback?
Imagine you are a student and open the package in front of you.
Take out form A and read the feedback:
What do you think you could do with the feedback?
Set out the actions you might take.

3. Do any of these views apply to your reading of the feedback?
It takes so long to get feedback, that I can’t remember doing the work.
I can’t read the comments!
Comments make judgements about my attitude or efforts that are not true.
There is so much feedback that I can’t make sense of it.
It only says good, but does not say why it is good.
Comments are brief and vague.
I can’t see a connection between the comments and the grade.
The comments do not take me anywhere
Often feedback is confusing and offers conflicting advice

4. How can we help students get more out of feedback?
Suggestions?

5. How can we help students get more out of feedback?
In the way we provide feedback
In helping students unpack feedback
In helping students take action on feedback

6. How can we help students get more out of feedback?
Provision
Unpacking
Action
Feedback/ Feedforward
Hyperlinks to follow up
Preparing for a tutorial
Tutorial discussion
Provision of support materials
Information
Online tutorials
Skills tutorial
exemplars

7. What are the purposes of feedback?
List the four main purposes.

8. Compare your purposes with these – do you agree with that purpose or not?
to justify the mark awarded;
to show how far learning outcomes have been achieved;
to comment on the develop of subject academic literacy (planning, style, referencing);
to motivate the student by praising achievements
to identify areas that the student needs to develop;
to suggest resources for the development of student learning;
to explain why aspects are correct and worthy of praise;
to explain why aspects are not appropriate and show what would be an appropriate expression;
to identify the gap between current performance and desired performance at that level of study.

9. The ASK Approach
Attitudes- change in attitude to prevent early closure on feedback Strategies- introduction of range of strategies for learning Knowledge- both cognitive and practical to guide student learning in relation to feedback.

10. • ATTITUDE: Non-collection/ not following up advice
We need to help students rethink their belief in assignment/learning closure
Build into module design the need to receive and act on feedback, and ensure students are rewarded for doing so.
• STRATEGIES (recognition of variety of learning styles/ needs):
• electronic links: learning materials and resources
• academic study skills feedback tutorials
• self-and peer-assessment
• subject feedback tutorials (formative and summative)
• workshops (skills and developmental)
• KNOWLEDGE (cognitive and practical): Understanding the need to act on feedback. Knowing how to act on feedback. Knowing that the development of skills is a personal investment of time. Acting – taking practical steps beyond merely acknowledging the need to or intentions to.

11. Activity: Be prepared – preparing students for your feedback
How does your subject and module literature guide students on how to use tutor feedback?
Do they know what kind of feedback to expect?
Do they know what to do with your feedback?
Do you provide suggestions for tutorial, literature or electronic support?

12. Overall comment: Grade: Refer to the Scale to interpret your grade.
Student Number: Use only your student number, do not include your name as we follow a policy on anonymous marking.
Module code and title: Task: this helps you to ensure that you have focused on the set task.
Learning outcomes: Set out the specific learning outcomes for this task.
Feedback
Feedforward
Referencing
This section feeds back on how far your review met these requirements.
This section offers suggestions for your future improvement. This may include hyperlinks to resources that help you develop your skills and understanding.
Structure
Analysis
Overall comment: Grade: Refer to the Scale to interpret your grade.
Staff recommendation: main area for you to work on
This section helps you to prioritize your efforts by highlighting the main point from the feedback. This can help you take the first step for acting on feedback
Student action: make a note of your intentions on reading this feedback
This section is for you to complete when you have thought about this feedback. Make a record of your thoughts so you can put them into action before you start on your next assignment.

13. to help students differentiate between feedback on work,
Tutors:
providing feedback
to help students differentiate between feedback on work,
and feedforward for future learning
- help students move from being passive recipient of feedback
- to help students see benefit of feedforward for developing skills
- to help students see how to work on the feedback in specific ways
- to motivate students by providing them with advice to improve their learning at the time they receive the feedback
Feedback
Feedforward
Structure
You showed a good level of engagement with the material, but your focus on the question could have been tighter.
Explore this link for advice on structuring an argument

14. to provide students with a starting point
Tutors:
providing feedback
to provide students with a starting point
With guidance on where to make such a start
To help students take control of the feedback by recording their intentions
Staff recommendation: Main area for you to work on.
You must take note of published sources to distinguish between summaries and opinions. Please explore this guidance on quotation to make appropriate use of both:
Student action: make a note of your intentions on reading this feedback

15. Try this tutorial on Structuring an argument
Tutors:
providing feedback
Try this tutorial on Structuring an argument
Stephani, 1998
students want information on
How to develop their work.
Students often fail to follow up tutor feedback because they don’t know what to do with it (Burke 2007).
focus on ‘pedagogic role’ of written feedback, can ‘facilitate learning’ by making it easy for students to follow-up feedback advice
This process can help to make transparent the ‘academic conventions’ that tutors may take for granted (Lillis & Turner, 2001: 66).
use of subject specific examples helps students ‘see’ how skills requirements for planning, structuring and referencing look within their own discipline.

16. Students are provided with a hyperlink to a webfolio
Tutors:
providing feedback
Students are provided with a hyperlink to a webfolio
this reminds students of the assessed task
provides exemplars of student work on the specific task
breaks down the structure of the feedback form
provides guidance on referencing
short examples to illustrate good practice
Consult the linked webfolio for initial guidance and illustrations of good practice:
You can follow up this feedback by arranging a one- to-one session with a Skills Tutor in The Student Support Office MC238, Tel: )

17. Good points Areas for improvement
Students:
using tutor feedback
Good points
Note these so you do them again
Areas for improvement
Draw out the main areas to work on
What has your tutor written?
What do you understand this to mean?
Feedback you do not understand 17

18. You should make more use of the quotations you include.
Students:
using tutor feedback
Activity: Invite students to complete the ‘Preparation for a tutorial section of the form.
Use these prompts to prepare for a tutorial with your module tutor. Make an appointment with your tutor, take this form and your assignment to the tutorial.
Feedback that you understand
Fill in the actions you intend to take on these points and discuss with your tutor
You should make more use of the quotations you include.
I understand this to mean that when I include a quote I should draw out the implications that the quote has for my essay. The quote might back up the point I am making, or it might offer a different perspective so I can use it as a jumping off point for the next part of my essay. In either case I need to make explicit reference to my reason for including the quote.
Feedback that you do not understand
use of template can empower student
preparation of actual questions
moves through stages

19. Template provides a way of structuring and recording tutorials
Tutors:
providing feedback
Template provides a way of structuring and recording tutorials
The learning need identified in the essay feedback is identified
discussion with student indicates their understanding of this learning need
follow-up
information:
online tutorials:
Exemplars:
Hyperlink added
form ed.
Feedback Tutorial Example
Summary of Learning Needs to be developed:
Your tutor noted that you demonstrated a good understanding of the general topic but that you needed to develop your planning so that you use the information to answer the set question.
specific feedback from Tutor
identified from looking at work
response to student query
We looked at the tutor feedback and comments on the text of your essay to see where you could have used material more explicitly, and also at the importance of cutting out material that was not relevant.
Hyperlinks: These links will take you to sources that will support your learning:
Try this tutorial on Structuring an argument 19

20. Who to contact to get more out of tutor feedback?
Planning
Skills tutor
Module tutor
Grammar
eTutor
Stress
Academic counsellor Peers
Referencing
Subject librarian Module tutor
Who to contact to get more out of tutor feedback?
How am I doing?
Personal tutor
Subject resources
Unpacking feedback
Analysis

21. You have not answered the question.
Neville, C. (2009) How to Improve your assignment results. McGraw-Hill.
You have not answered the question.
Your work is more descriptive than critical.
You did not tell me anything new.
Your English is weak; it was difficult to follow your arguments

22. would have had a negative impact on my work.’
‘This exercise was interesting and helpful to complete, since I misunderstood some feedback I received and if I did not complete this exercise, I would have continued doing what I was, which
would have had a negative impact on my work.’
‘I realize that in order to develop my study skills I have to make an effort. I need to research these topics in the same way I do other aspects of my work.’