Giving and using peer feedback
Feedback is an important part of learning at university. It can help you recognise what you are doing well, identify areas for improvement, and decide what you could do differently in the future.
You may give, receive, or reflect on feedback in a range of university settings, including written assignments, presentations, group work, practical activities, placements, and professional development activities. Feedback may be written or verbal and may come from peers, tutors, supervisors, or other staff.
This webpage focuses on peer feedback, which is an aspect of some assessments: specifically, how to give feedback to your peers, and how to receive and implement feedback from peers.
What makes feedback effective?
Useful feedback is:
Specific and relevant – focuses on a particular behaviour, skill, or aspect of the work and relates to the task, learning outcomes, or expected standards.
Constructive and actionable – identifies areas for improvement and provides practical suggestions or next steps for the recipient.
Respectful and balanced – uses appropriate language and recognises strengths as well as areas for development.
Where possible, feedback should focus on specific aspects of the work or observable behaviours, rather than personal traits or characteristics.
Giving feedback
Before giving feedback, consider the purpose of the activity and any criteria or guidelines you have been provided.
When giving feedback:
- Identify something the person did effectively
- Describe a specific area that could be improved
- Explain why this improvement may be useful
- Suggest a practical strategy or next step
- Base your feedback on what you observed rather than assumptions
- Use respectful and professional language
A simple structure you can use is:
What worked → What could be improved → What could they do next?
For example:
“Your explanation was clear and logically structured. At times, you moved through the information quite quickly. Pausing between key points might make it easier for the audience to follow.”
Less useful:
“You weren't very confident.”
More useful:
“You explained the information clearly, but speaking slightly louder and maintaining more eye contact may help you appear more confident.”
This example focuses on observable behaviour and provides practical actions the person can use to improve.
Receiving and responding to feedback
Receiving feedback can sometimes feel uncomfortable, particularly when areas for improvement are identified.
When receiving feedback:
- Listen to or read the feedback carefully before responding
- Ask questions if you are unsure what the person means
- Do not be defensive
- Consider whether similar feedback has been raised previously
- Identify the aspects of the feedback that are most useful
- Decide what action you can take in response
You do not necessarily need to agree with every piece of feedback you receive. However, consider it carefully and reflect on whether it identifies an opportunity for improvement.
Using and reflecting on feedback
Reflection involves more than describing the feedback you received. Consider what the feedback means for your learning and how you could use it to improve your future work or performance.
You may find it useful to ask yourself:
- What strengths were identified?
- What areas for improvement were identified?
- Was any of the feedback unexpected?
- Does the feedback match my own view of my performance?
- Have I received similar feedback before?
- What have I learnt from this?
- What will I do differently next time?
Where possible, connect feedback with specific actions or goals for future improvement.
Asking for feedback
When seeking feedback from peers (or indeed tutors, supervisors, or other staff), ask focused questions rather than simply asking for general feedback.
For example:
- “Was my explanation clear?”
- “Is there anything I could improve about the way I communicated with the group?”
- “What is one thing I did well and one thing I could improve?”
- “Is there an area of my performance that I should focus on developing?”
- “How could I approach this more effectively moving forward?”
Specific questions can make it easier for someone to provide useful and meaningful feedback.