Effective feedback: principles and process

1. Criterion -referenced and performance benchmarked

 Does the student understand the Criteria and the Performance Standard?
 Does the feedback relate to the Criteria and the Performance Standard?

2. Understandable, clear and transparent

 Does the student understand the feedback?

3. Specific and accurate

 Is the feedback accurate?
 Is the feedback precise enough to allow the student to understand how it relates to their work
and how they can use it?

4. Neutral
 Is the feedback free of criticism, praise or value judgements?

5. Personalised and empathic

 Does the student feel that the teacher is interested in their work and cares about their learning
and progress?
 Does the student feel the teacher understands their efforts to learn and demonstrate their
learning?

6. Reinforcing
 Does the feedback provide students information on what has been performed at a high
standard, as well as what could be improved?

7. Key areas
 Is the detail and complexity of the feedback overwhelming and confusing, or is the feedback
clearly focussed on the most fundamental, important aspects of their performance that they
need to address at this time?

8. Manageable amount
 Is the amount of feedback too overwhelming for the student to absorb, reflect on and take
action on it?
 Is the feedback broken up into manageable amounts and builds up in complexity and detail over
time?

9. Tangible
 Does the feedback provide information about the impact or outcomes of the performance?

10. Provides actionable information

 Does the feedback provide the student with information they can use to improve their
performance on a subsequent task?

11. Timely
 Is the feedback provided in sufficient time for the student to be interested in it and able to act
on it?
 What other sources of feedback can be harnessed in the assessment design to speed up the
performance, feedback and improvement cycle? Is it possible to provide feedback in real time?

12. Ongoing
 Are there multiple feedback sources and episodes that provide the student with many
opportunities to reshape the performance to better achieve the learning outcome?

13. Consistent
 Do all markers and teaching staff involved in the assessment understand and agree on the
criteria and standards?
 Does the feedback the student receive over time provide a cohesive set of information that is
stable, accurate, consistent and trustworthy, not contradictory or confusing?

14. Participatory and dialogic—how are students involved in

the feedback process?
 Have students had the opportunity to reflect on their current skills and knowledge and set their
own learning goals?
 Were students involved in creating or refining the criteria or standards?
 Have students sought feedback from a range of sources?
 Have students used the rubric to evaluate examples, or their own or peer’s work?
 Do students respond to the feedback?
 Do students use feedback to improve their performance?
 Do students reflect on how they have used the feedback and its impact on their performance?

(Adapted from Nicol cited in Boud & Malloy 2013, p.117)

References
Boud, D & Malloy, E (eds) 2013, Feedback in higher and professional education: understanding it and
doing it well, Routledge, London and New York.

Hattie, J & Timperley, H 2007, 'The power of feedback', Review of Educational Research, vol. 77, no.
1, pp. 81 – 112, Infographic summary.
nt of the Feedback Impact on student
Specific actions
ss learning
ds
ng the standards All markers discuss, test and develop a consistent Students receives feedback about thei
understanding of the standard performance on key Assessment Crite
ation
rvation of the student’s performance Objectively view the performance, seeking Students are provided information ab
evidence for achievement against the Assessment their performance measures against th
Criteria both achievements and gaps
udgements about the person or work
tatements that judge the student or Markers use statements that refer to the student No useful information about progress
or their work as “good”, “poor” etc Criteria
and fix errors
rrors Marking the location of an error or low standard Low.
e.g circling a word or sentence
rrors Describing an error or low standard Depends.
e.g labelling a grammar mistake or describing a Useful if students knows what this me
need for evidence how to do it.
rrors rewriting or editing student’s written work Caution!
e.g. changing language Useful if students can learn from the e
May foster dependence.
ng useful information about the students’ performance
e performance standard of that Stating the required element or characteristic Students develop a richer understandi
e.g “the task was to synthesize the findings” a good performance is (this is key to le
ap between the standard and the Highlighting and locating particular aspects of the Students develop a more accurate und
rformance student’s work that meet or do not meet the of how their work does and does not m
standard standard (useful for high performing st
understand the qualities of their work
ood and bad examples Indicating instances where student’s performance Students learn to see and evaluate mo
was high and where it was lower and explaining the quality of their work
why one was better than the other
ck on the process
the student’s cognitive or Indicate the effectiveness of their critical thinking Students understand how the quality
e processes such as reasoning or assumptions thinking and reasoning contributed to
performance
the student’s planning and self Provide feedback on the strategies used to Students learn to observe and refine t
undertake the work thinking

rformance Explain or provide examples of what the student Students understand what is required
could do differently next time to improve their their work
performance
arning and development Explain what the student could do to learn or Students develop a clear picture of the
develop the skills or knowledge required to attain a need to take to develop these skills
higher performance
aging and motivating the student
Demonstrating understanding of the student’s Students believe that the marker valu
effort or attempts efforts to learn and demonstrate their
elopment Demonstrate belief in the ability of the student to Students know the marker believes th
develop and improve improve and develop (this is key).
ent (if struggling) encouragement to work towards Students understand this one assessm
achieving the standard not represent their potential.

Providing marks and grades No useful information about progress

Criteria
Lumps together very specific informati
student’s performance on difference s
one number that hides the useful info
Written feedback: suggested process

1. Read the whole paper or view the performance, actively seeking evidence of student’s
achievement of the Assessment Criteria, and their standard as outlined in the rubric.

2. Identify specific examples in student’s work that provide evidence of their level of achievement
against the Assessment Criteria.

3. Decide on the standard attained in relation to each Assessment Criteria.

4. Provide specific information about the student’s level of performance in relation to each
Assessment Criteria, illustrating with one or two examples in their work. Whether the student
has achieved a high or low level of performance, provide specific information about their
performance with examples.

5. If the work has repeated grammar, spelling or referencing mistakes, do not correct them all! The
goal is to flag the issue and help the student learn. So, identify those in the first paragraph or
two only, providing a clear example of how it may be done well if you wish. You can then
summarise the problems that occur throughout the paper and make recommendations for
improvement in the final feedback statement.

6. Choose one or two key Assessment Criteria that are most important for the student to improve
at this time, and provide guidance about strategies they can use to improve this.

7. Final encouraging statement:

 characterising the assessment and feedback as a developmental process, and
 demonstrating a belief that the student can learn and improve.