This resource explains feedback and overviews how to use feedback to improve your learning.
What is feedback?
Feedback refers to the constructive evaluation comments on an assessment task. Feedback is a powerful tool that can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, direct your attention to areas that require improvement, improve your quality of learning, and develop interpersonal skills, such as communication and critical analysis.
Types of feedback you may receive at UOW include:
- Verbal feedback: Feedback is given verbally by teacher or peers
- Written feedback: Feedback that is given in writing alongside with your marks after your teacher has evaluated your work. This may either be in the form of written comments or scaled on an assessment rubric.
- Marks or grades: You will receive a mark for individual assessment tasks and an overall mark for each subject – this is a form of feedback too.
Where can I find my feedback?
When you receive marks for assessment tasks, you usually will receive written feedback.
If it is a hard-copy assignment, generally your feedback will be written by hand by the marker throughout the document. They may also use the marking rubric to indicate how well you’ve performed in each area.
If it is a digital assignment submitted through Moodle, your tutor or Subject Coordinator may upload a document containing your feedback, or a copy of your assignment with the feedback written at the end.
If you can’t find your feedback, contact your Subject Coordinator or tutor. They may also choose to provide it verbally to you.
Understanding and using feedback
To get the most out of feedback, you should:
- Approach feedback with a positive mind. Receiving feedback can be hard, especially if you feel you haven’t done well. Try to remember that feedback is a tool for you to improve your learning.
- Don’t just focus on the negatives. It can be easy to overlook positive feedback in favour for focusing on the negatives. Positive feedback is just as useful as negative, so make sure you use it to your advantage.
- Critically reflect on the feedback you receive. Ask yourself if you agree with the feedback. Take a look at your assessment and try to understand what the marker is saying. How could you have done better? Did you prepare enough before the assessment? Where are your strengths and weaknesses? What did the marker identify that you did well?
- Identify what you have done well, and what area(s) needed improvement. Think about how you can use it to improve for your next assessment task.
- Ask for clarification from your subject coordinator or peers. If you aren’t sure what you need to improve on, or if you don’t agree with the feedback, talk to your tutor or Subject Coordinator. It may also be useful to reflect on your feedback with your peers.
- Document the feedback you receive. Feedback is a way for you to improve in the future – you don’t want to forget it! Keep track of the feedback you receive in a word document that you can return to when completing your next assessment task.
Feedback in different settings
The way feedback is given, received, and used may vary depending on the assessment or setting.
Written assignments
Feedback on written assessments may include comments within your work, a rubric, general comments from the marker, or verbal feedback from your tutor.
When reviewing feedback on written assignments:
- Read the feedback alongside the assessment criteria or marking rubric
- Look for recurring comments or patterns
- Identify both strengths and areas for development
- Consider how you could apply the feedback to your next assessment
- Ask your tutor for clarification if you are unsure what a comment means
Try to use feedback beyond the assessment it was originally provided for. For example, feedback about paragraph structure, use of evidence, or academic writing may also be relevant to future assessment tasks.
Presentations and practical activities
Feedback on presentations or practical tasks may relate to both the content of your work and how you performed the task.
This may include:
- Organisation and structure
- Communication and clarity
- Presentation or practical skills
- Engagement with an audience
- Time management
- Professional behaviour
If feedback is provided verbally, consider recording the key points soon afterwards so you can refer to them later.
Peer and group feedback
Peer feedback may be used in group assessments or peer-review activities.
When providing feedback to peers:
- Focus on aspects of the work or behaviour that can be changed or improved
- Consider the person's contribution to the group as well as the quality of their work
- Provide realistic suggestions they can act upon.
For example:
“They occasionally arrived without the required material prepared. Reviewing the task requirements before meetings may help improve preparation.”
In group work, feedback may also relate to communication, teamwork, preparation, reliability, initiative, time management, and contribution to the group.
Placements and professional settings
Feedback during placements or professional activities may relate to professional standards and expectations as well as academic or practical performance.
Feedback may focus on areas such as:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Reliability and punctuality
- Preparation
- Respect for others
- Initiative
- Time management
- Receptiveness and response to feedback
When receiving professional feedback, consider what the feedback means for your ongoing development and identify a specific skill or behaviour you could work on.
When giving feedback about another person in a professional setting:
- Focus on relevant and observable behaviours
- Avoid criticism of personal traits or characteristics
- Do not make assumptions about someone's intentions
- Maintain confidentiality where required
- Follow any placement, assessment or professional guidelines
Reflective and feedback-based assessments
Some assessment tasks may require you to reflect on feedback you have received or evaluate your own performance.
Try to be balanced and evidence-based. Avoid simply recounting what happened or listing the feedback you received.
Consider:
- What did I do well?
- What evidence supports this?
- What feedback did I receive from others?
- Does this feedback match my own view of my performance?
- What could I have done differently?
- What did I find challenging?
- What have I learnt from the experience?
- What skill or behaviour should I work on developing next?
- What will I do differently in the future?
Where possible, connect your self-reflection with feedback you have received from others.
For example:
“I felt that I communicated respectfully with the group and completed my allocated tasks on time. This was also reflected in feedback from my peers. However, I could improve by contributing more confidently when the group is making decisions.”