Making feedback useful to students

Teachers spend hours writing feedback that students glance at for a few seconds. The fix is rarely more feedback. It is a routine that makes feedback usable. These are the five checks I use with teachers in assessment and feedback workshops, and the audit that goes with this article turns them into a short self-review.

1. Is it tied to a clear goal?

Students should see the success criteria before they start, and the feedback should point back to them. If a comment cannot be linked to a criterion, ask whether it is needed.

2. Is there one next step?

Three comments a student acts on are worth more than ten they skim. Lead with the single most useful change, written as an action the student can take today.

3. Is there time to act on it?

If feedback arrives after the unit has moved on, it becomes an explanation of the grade. Build lesson time for students to revise, ideally soon after they receive feedback.

4. Does the student do the thinking?

Instead of correcting the work, try a question or a marked area: "Something in this paragraph weakens your argument. Find it and fix it." Students learn more when they find the problem themselves.

5. Can you see whether it worked?

Compare the draft with the revision. If the change is not visible, adjust the routine, not just the comment.

Making it manageable

• Use a short code or symbol for common next steps, and a class list of what each means.
• Give whole-class feedback on common errors, and save individual comments for what is specific to each student.
• Use a next-step slip that students complete and keep, so you can see whether they acted on it.

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