Tips for giving feedback
Produced by the Centre for Learning and Teaching, this document provides handy tips for giving feedback to students
Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Feedback
Page last updated:
Feedback is an integral part of the learning process, enabling students to identify their strengths and weaknesses so they can achieve their full potential. There are many methods for providing feedback to students, and the type of feedback used will often depend on the nature and timing of the assessment.
When designing assessments, it is important to consider the feedback methods you will use, as well as the benefits and practicalities of each approach. This page introduces a range of possible feedback methods and highlights several tools available to you at Leeds Beckett.
Feedback methods
Feedback comes in a variety of forms and can be both formal and informal. Click through the tabs below to see some of the options available when providing feedback.
Audio feedback
As technology has become more accessible, the use of audio feedback has become a realistic option for staff. For example, Turnitin now includes the option to record audio comments.
Research has shown that audio feedback can save staff time (Rotherham, 2009) and enhance the student experience. It also allows students to hear vocal tone and inflection; features that are often lost in written feedback.
Video feedback
Video feedback is also emerging as an alternative to text only feedback, with students feeling it is more personalised and specific to them. Students consider this feedback to be more meaningful and, as a result, are more likely to engage with it.
You can create video feedback using a variety of methods. One method is to record yourself with Panopto, or using a web cam or mobile phone, and save it to your OneDrive to securely share with your student(s).
The method you choose will depend on the type of work being returned, how it was submitted, whether it is individual or group work, and the technology you have available.
Online and collaborative feedback
The university supports a number of tools to enable online submission including MyBeckett Assignment and Turnitin. All of these tools allow you to provide online written feedback. You can find out about providing feedback through Turnitin and MyBeckett on the Digital Learning Service guide pages.
If students use tools such as Microsoft Word Online, you can provide opportunities for online feedback from both peers and tutors. By sharing their documents, students can benefit from multiple feedback perspectives, and providing peer feedback can also improve their own writing. Turnitin submission areas also offer options for peer feedback.
Event and presentation feedback
In viva and presentation situations, it is important to provide feedback in a way that ensures it is not lost. Usually, this involves the tutor writing down the feedback and sharing it with the student(s). Alternatively, you might consider recording both the student presentation or viva and the tutor feedback using a system like Panopto, so that students can revisit it at their own pace.
Feedback to large cohorts
Providing feedback to large cohorts of students can seem daunting. However, a range of tools and techniques can help you manage this process while still offering a rich feedback experience. Rubrics can highlight common areas of strength and weakness for students, while tutor-supported peer feedback provides a valuable learning experience for all participants. Audio feedback has been shown to be both engaging for students and time-efficient for staff, making it particularly effective for large groups.
Grading criteria and rubrics
Clear grading criteria that are explicitly linked to learning outcomes help students understand how they will be assessed and can also serve as a framework for effective feedback. Rubrics can illustrate how students can meet the grading criteria and what is required to achieve each grade level. When prepared in advance of an assessment, rubrics can also facilitate quick-turnaround feedback shortly after assignment submission.
Information about rubrics can be found on the Turnitin guidance webpage. Leeds Beckett specific generic marking criteria, which can be adapted for individual modules, are available on the marking criteria and rubrics webpage.
Case studies
Learn more about real-world examples of effective feedback from colleagues across Leeds Beckett.
