Feedback - how to use it

Be receptive

Some of us find it a very confronting experience to read comments and even criticisms of our viewpoints and performance in a particular task. It is easy to take such comments personally, as though you are being told what you have to say is not important, or the efforts you made have not been given due credit.

Feedback on your performance, however, needs to be looked at as a valuable aid to skills development. You need to try and take a step back from your performances in assignments (essays, presentations, practicals, orals etc), and look at them a series of exercises - each of which will result in important feedback.

Even if you do not receive feedback until well after the examination period, you can still use it to help you develop your skills (all of which will be beneficial to whatever course-units you complete subsequently).

So do ensure that you read and reflect upon your feedback, and learn from it. Having direct and detailed comments on your assignments can be a great opportunity to enhance your skills and knowledge.

The kind of feedback you receive on assignments will vary greatly, depending on the subject area, the type of assignment and your tutor.

Top Tips

Below are some suggested approaches for dealing with whatever feedback you receive. You may need to develop and adapt these approaches to suit your particular subject area(s).

• Know what your grade or percentage mark means. This may appear simple, but different subjects do have different marking schemes. You will find this information in your course-unit handbook.
• Re-read the assessment criteria for written work. You should already have found this in your school's handbook prior to completing you assignment. Now revisit these pages again, re-read the criteria relevant to your grade, and see how your tutor's feedback relates to this criteria. (This is particularly important for Combined Studies students or students on Join Honours programmes, as you will probably find the assessment criteria varies between your subject areas).
• Ensure that you understand the tutor's comments. Some tutors may give you very detailed feedback, while others may just make a few comments in the pages of your essay. The feedback you receive will vary depending on subject area and tutor. Do not just look at the back of your essay for comments, as tutors often make comments throughout the essay. The comments may seem familiar to you - such as "you need to clarify this point" or "this essay lacks structure". You need to ensure, however, that you can make sense of these comments and that you know how to improve in this areas.
• If in doubt about your feedback, talk to your tutor. On some courses, tutors give feedback about student work in tutorials. Other tutors may offer sessions either individually or in small groups. All tutors have appointed office hours, when you can make an appointment with them to discuss your work. It is up to you to make good use of these opportunities to discuss any areas you may not understand. Your subject tutors are your best source of expertise on writing in your particular subject areas.
• Be aware that feedback often covers both the content of the assignment and the way you have written it. The comments on content tend to be more specific to the subject area, and can be very useful when it comes to preparing for your next assessment task in that subject (usually the exam).
  Other comments often refer to aspects of your writing, and could include your argument, structure, clarity of expression and referencing. Have a look at the feedback you have received on one of your assignments. Can you identify which comments deal with content and those with deal with general writing issues. Which comments will help you with your next assessment task?
• Talk to your fellow students. Some students may feel uncomfortable with discussing their marks and comments. But it does help to compare, contrast and discuss any comments you may have received with other students on your course. It is not always easy to fully understand what the tutor may have meant by their comments. By talking it over with other students familiar with the subject, you may gain further insight into your assignment and your feedback.

Content adapted with permission from material by Dr. Alyssa Phillips, Combined Studies, University of Manchester.