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 […]
Mass email with FAQs and Comment Banks
Posted on March 11, 2015 by Laurence Georgin in Class/ general feedback, Written feedback
What is it? As many lecturers and tutors will be aware, students regularly ask the similar questions year after year. In order to save time and address the numerous questions students have, many departments have created databases containing frequently asked questions and comment banks. Creating such databases doesn’t have to be difficult; a word document […]
Using spreadsheets to keep track of students’ feedback
Posted on by Laurence Georgin in 1-to-1/ detailed feedback, Class/ general feedback, Verbal feedback, Written feedback
What is it? Some tools such e-Assignments allow feedback to be kept alongside marks in students’ records. Unfortunately other tools do not offer this function. Instead, some lecturers keep track of feedback given to students using a spreadsheet. Like in e-Assignments, marks and individual comments are recording for each student, which can prove to be particularly useful […]
Feedback from undergraduate students on PhD students’ teaching performance
Posted on by Laurence Georgin in Verbal feedback, Written feedback
What is it? Alongside their studies, many PhD students teach undergraduate classes, in particular tutorials. This is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience, especially as many of them will be required to teach in the future if they decide to stay in academia. Since most PhD students are fairly new to the profession, […]
Annotated Exam Transcripts
Posted on March 10, 2015 by Laurence Georgin in Written feedback
What is it? Following examinations, many departments give students the opportunity to collect or view their exam script. However, many students are unaware of this opportunity and consequently do not take advantage of it. Therefore, it is important that lecturers and tutors actively encourage their students to spend the time going through their exam scripts, […]
Written feedback on draft assignments
Posted on February 16, 2015 by Laurence Georgin in Written feedback
What is it? When students receive written feedback on draft assignments, this is considered to be formative feedback; this contrasts with summative feedback which students will be given on final assignments. Using formative feedback, students are able to identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to make the necessary improvements before submitting the final version. […]
Feedback after failed exams
Posted on by Laurence Georgin in Informal feedback, Verbal feedback, Written feedback
What is it? When students fail an exam or do not do as well as expected, they often feel ashamed and are reluctant to speak to their lecturer or tutor about it. Therefore, it is important that academic staff foster an environment in which students have the confidence to seek feedback regardless of their performance, […]
The Sandwich Method
Posted on by Laurence Georgin in Verbal feedback, Written feedback
What is it? A popular method to give feedback to students across disciplines is the Sandwich Method. This means that the lecturer starts off by offering positive feedback on what the student did well; then provides constructive criticism on what the student didn’t do so well; and ends on a positive note by giving the […]
Follow up on feedback with the Hartley Library Academic Skills Hub
Posted on February 12, 2015 by Laurence Georgin in 1-to-1/ detailed feedback, Class/ general feedback, Feedback technologies, Informal feedback, Verbal feedback, Written feedback
What is it? The Academic Skills Hub is based in the Hartley Library and is a place students can go to find out more about some of the skills they need to be successful in their studies and beyond. The Hub is staffed by librarians who can point students to resources and services both in and outside the University. The Hub […]
Consistency of feedback across lecturers
Posted on February 10, 2015 by Laurence Georgin in 1-to-1/ detailed feedback, Written feedback
What is it? Most students appreciate it when their lecturers annotate their written assignments and exams so that they can pinpoint exactly where their strengths and weaknesses lie and contextualise generic feedback. Moreover, lecturers should aim to be consistent in their feedback and give individual students the same level of feedback regardless of their level […]