What is it?

Annotated coursework is one example of what is commonly referred to as formative assessment,which usually do not count towards the final mark but rather supports students’ learning throughout a course. Other examples of formative assessment include Quizzes, problem sheets and online tests, classroom discussions, brainstorming activities or speaking in a foreign language in grammar classes.

When part of formative assessment, coursework can be presented and discussed in class, and receive feedback from peers and lecturers. It can also be annotated by a peer or by the lecturer. This particular kind of feedback is extremely valuable to students as it can be very detailed and precise. It helps them know how they are doing and identify their strengths and weaknesses before the final exams, which gives them a chance to act on it.

Like with other forms of formative assessment, annotated coursework is an opportunity for lecturers to check how the class is performing and whether they need to modify the learning activities to suit the needs of the students.

How can students make the most of it?

Formative assessment activities are ongoing and offer opportunities for feedback from peers and lecturers throughout the course. These are great opportunities for students to adjust their learning and deal with any issues prior to examination. It is important to engage with these activities as much as possible even though they might not count towards the final mark as they are a chance to reinforce the learning and eventually improve the final mark as a result. Annotated coursework in particular provides a great opportunity to get detailed feedback, which students can work on to improve their final marks or seek clarification in the event that any comments are unclear or ambiguous.