TABLE OF CONTENTS

00.
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.

Intro
Benefits
Purpose
Approach
Nuts & Bolts
Emotion
Resources
Bibliography

Give your
students better
writing
feedback.
A practical guide for

instructors.

Few practices promote student learning as effectively as wellformed writing assignments paired with personal, constructive
feedback. Of course, giving useful feedback can be time
consuming and has limited value if students don't read or act on
it.

By following some simple feedback best practices instructors can

mitigate these communication challenges. The goal of this guide
is to present feedback tips in a clear, practical format that you can
quickly absorb and apply to your classroom.

01.

Writing promotes
learning
Writing activities promote high-level recall, organized thinking and
clear expression.

Key points:
Writing is one of the most eff ective learning
activities.
To be eff ective, writing needs to be paired with
eff ective feedback and the opportunity for revision.
Too often, the feedback we provide our students isn't
helping.
1.a.

Beyond English class

Everyone writes essays in English class but writing activities pay
dividends in any domain. We've known this for a while. It's one of
the reasons writing across the curriculum (WAC) programs have
gained popularity since the 1980s.

At the most basic level, writing requires students to recall

knowledge rather than just recognize it (e.g., a multiple-choice
question). With more complex writing activities, students must
retrieve information, link it with related concepts, then organize
and express those ideas in their own words. There's evidence that
this retrieval process produces more learning than even the most
thorough study session.
The point is not just to produce better writers (though of course
this doesn't hurt). When students write about content, they learn
it better. So most educators agree students should be writing in
almost every class including math, science,
<qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqaqaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaqaaaaaqqqqqqqqqqqqaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaafinance, economics, and humanities.

"Through writing, students can increase their

comfort with and success in understanding complex
material, unfamiliar concepts, and subject-specific
vocabulary." Judy Willis
1.b.

Effective writing requires good

feedback
Like any pedagogical tool, the positive effects of writing can be
greatly reduced by flawed implementation.
The biggest factor that influences the effect of writing activities is
the nature of the feedback students receive. At the extreme end
of the spectrum, students may receive no feedback at all. Or

perhaps only receive a grade with no comments about their

specific performance.
As a result, students get some writing practice but generally don't
improve and don't learn the material better.
1.c.

Your feedback probably stinks nothing

personal ;)
More commonly, students receive feedback but it doesn't do a
whole lot of good. Kluger and DeNisi[8] conducted a meta-analysis
of studies of feedback and found that the average effect of writing
feedback intervention on performance was quite positive.
However, 38 percent of the time the control group actually
outperformed the feedback groups leading the researchers to
conclude that the effects of feedback depend on the
nature of the feedback.[4]
Much of the feedback we provide students simply isn't helpful.
Feedback to students "might be delayed, not relevant or
informative, it might focus on low level learning goals or might be
overwhelming in quantity or deficient in tone (i.e. too critical)." [5]

Photo via

02.

Purpose of writing
feedback
Writing feedback is not just about finding mistakes. It is about
providing clear guidance for the student's next step.

Key points:
Unlike editing, feedback should give students a clear
idea of how to improve.
Feedback needs to be specifi c and clear.
Feedback is essential for both strong and weak
students.
2.a.

The primary purpose of feedback is...

Writing feedback should offer students clear and specific guidance
of how to improve their performance.
2.b.

Feedback is not editing

Feedback is not the same thing as editing. And it is much more
than making a few red marks on a paper.
One study[14] found that most students complained their writing
feedback was too general and vague with no suggestions for
improvement. Students report that they are often left not knowing

what they have done well, what they need to change and why
they have achieved the grade they have.
Feedback is about guidance. Diagnosis of what is wrong can be
part of the process, but it must be accompanied by clear
suggestions for improvement: "Here's what's wrong and
here's how to fix it."
The goal is to leave students will a clear message about what they
must do to improve future submissions.

Students report that they are often left not knowing what
they have done well, what they need to change and why
they have achieved the grade they have.
2.c.

Feedback is for every student

Weak students often receive better and more frequent feedback
than strong students. This is reasonable to a point, but studies
have shown that strong students often suffer from this
disproportionate attention.
It's tempting to scrawl "Excellent!" on a good student's paper and
quickly move on. But this doesn't help the student gain insight
into what they did well and what they could do to enhance their
performance. Even the best students need your guidance to
improve.

03.

Getting the most out

of writing feedback
Your strategy for writing must include revisions accompanied by
prompt, timely feedback.

Key points:
Writing is a process not a onetime event. Students
need to be given multiple opportunities to get it
right.
Your feedback should be prompt (quick revision
cycle) and timely (before unit is over).
Tired of correcting the same mistakes over and over
again? Take steps to force students to address your
feedback.
3.a.

If you're not allowing revisions, you're

doing it wrong
Writing loses its potency when it becomes a onetime event
instead of an ongoing process. Students should be writing multiple
drafts and improving their work each time with the help of a
writing guide. Given the chance, most students will "engage in an
iterative discourse about their writing"[1] which promotes
engagement, time on task, and meaningful student learning.

Too often, students are given just one shot at an assignment for a
grade. But this doesn't give them the opportunity to take the
advice given and improve. There is little room for risk taking,
experimentation and practice.
Instead, students need to be given opportunities to close the gap
between current and desired performance. This means giving
students a chance to improve through revisions guided by
appropriate feedback.

Photo via
3.b.

Feedback must be prompt

Most importantly, this revision cycle needs to happen as rapidly as
possible. One study found that more than 40% of institutions
provided feedback that was too late to be useful.[12] When it takes
a week or two to get feedback to students, the flow of the learning
process breaks and students tend to lose interest in the
assignment.

Prompt feedback guides students when they can still recall what
they did and thought at the time they wrote the paper. Plus they
are still motivated to improve their work.

The revision cycle needs to happen as rapidly as possible.

When it takes a week or two to provide feedback students
tend to lose interest.
3.c.

Feedback should be timely

It's also important for the revision cycle to occur before the unit is
over. Students should receive feedback on their paper about
photosynthesis before the photosynthesis unit is over. Otherwise,
the learning that occurs as a result of the writing activity can't be
applied anywhere else.
This can also help teachers. Having your students write is one of
the best ways to get inside their heads and assess their level of
understanding. By providing feedback to students before a topic is
over, you give yourself the chance to adjust content or teaching
strategies based on actual learning needs.
3.d.

Be sure your feedback has

consequences
Feedback isn't helpful unless the student is forced to respond to it.
It is not uncommon to correct the same errors on a particular
student's work over and over again. This is because the student is
not taking your advice, or not being required to do so.

Sometimes students are lazy or just don't get it. But teachers can
take steps to make feedback consequential, forcing students to
address your comments. When a student submits a revision, it
might be a good idea to have her explain exactly how the revision
addresses the previous feedback.
Making this process transparent to the class as a whole can help
students learn from their peers as well.

Feedback isn't helpful unless the student responds to it.

04.

Becoming a feedback
guru
Providing students with organized comments.

Key points:
Provide students with grading criteria before they
begin writing.
Understand the diff erences between error correction
and content critique, and prioritize your content
comments over your error corrections.
Understand the diff erence between proximate vs.
holistic feedback, and be sure to provide holistic
feedback.
Limit yourself to three or four major suggestions for
improvement.
4.a.

Provide assessment criteria in

advance
Good feedback begins before students submit anything. Let's call
it "feedforward". Students need written guidelines for the
assignment grading criteria in advance. This provides a roadmap
to success and helps to clarify the features of good performance.
One study[7] showed that tutors and students often had quite
different conceptions about the goals and criteria for essays and
that poor essay performance correlated with the degree of
mismatch.
An agreed upon assessment criteria makes sure everyone is on
the same page. Instructors can benefit from this strategy as well,
since it ensures you have well defined goals for every writing
assignment.
After students submit, it is important to relate all feedback to the
original assessment criteria. Students should get a specific sense
of what they have achieved in progressing towards goal (set forth
in your assessment criteria) and what they have yet to achieve.

Photo via
4.b.

Error correction vs. content

critique
There are two main types of comments you can offer your
students: error correction and content/ideas critique.
Content/ideas critique focuses
on "what you write".
These comments evaluate the
student's ability to write a
focused paper with support and a
logical development of ideas.

Error correction emphasizes

"how you write".
Much like proof-reading the focus
is on writing mechanics like
spelling and grammar.

Though both types of feedback can point students in the right

direction, teachers tend to emphasize error correction more than
they should. There is some evidence that directly critiquing
students' mechanical errors isn't very helpful. Instead,
students should be encouraged to proof-read their own work or
get help from their peers.

If you do decide to include both types of feedback, it's important

to clearly divide your comments into one category or the other,
and prioritize your content comments over your error
corrections.
4.c.

Proximate vs. holistic feedback

Feedback can be either proximate or holistic.
Proximate(selective/analytic/compone
ntial)feedback is usually embedded in
the student's text or in the margins.
It typically involves marking mistakes or
making suggestions related to a specific
word or sentence in the student's work.

Holistic (comprehensive) f
eedback means displaying
your comments as
endnotes on the top or
bottom of the page.
It typically focuses on
major points of advice
related to the student's
work as a whole.

Much of the time, proximate feedback is used for error correction,

while holistic feedback focuses on content and idea development
(see above).
Studies have shown that proximate comments are easier for
teachers, but students prefer holistic feedback because it gives
them just a few things to concentrate on as they make revisions.
4.d.

Provide indirect feedback

Feedback shouldn't give away the answers. This is often called
indirect feedback.
This means telling students they made an error, but not giving
away the answer or doing their work for them. Remember,

feedback is about providing guidance. Assist students to think

about a better approach then let them figure out the details.

Start with higher-order concerns (support of ideas) and

move the lower-order problems (mechanics).
4.e.

Stick to 3-4 main ideas

Feedback comments should be limited to three or four major
suggestions. This might mean restraining yourself from pointing
out every single mistake or suggesting every improvement that
comes to mind.
Too much feedback can prompt anxiety. No student likes to
receive back a paper filled with red marks.
More importantly, an overwhelming amount of feedback prevents
the student from acting on your comments. When revising, a
student can only attended to a handful of ideas. Your feedback
should help them decide what is most important to improve, even
if the end result isn't perfect.

Photo via

05.

Emotional
considerations
When providing feedback you are not only affecting the student's
knowledge, you are impacting their motivation and self-image.

Key points:
Students typically see feedback as critical and
judgmental. Go out of your way to be supportive and
positive.
Balance your positive and negative comments in
terms of volume and specifi city.
Reduce the amount of feedback you provide over
time to encourage self-regulation.
5.a.

Keep your tone positive

By default, many students misunderstand the purpose of feedback
and see it as judgment instead of enabling learning. Keep this in
mind and go out of your way to be supportive and positive.
Judgmental or critical comments can undermine a student's
motivation and impede the learning process. The best writers are
empowered and motivated to improve. So in addition to pointing
out ways to improve, your feedback should encourage the student
and keep them engaged in the writing task.

One effective way to strike the right tone is to simply express the
way you (the reader) experienced the essay as it was read. Rather
than adopting an authoritative tone, you can communicate your
human reaction and suggest ways to improve the impact of what
was written.

Low-stakes writing assignments can empower students to

explore ideas without fear of looking stupid in front of
teachers or peers.
5.b.

Start with positive and keep it

balanced
Students will react better to feedback if you begin with positive
comments. Then add some constructive criticism, but keep it
balanced with the positive feedback.
Students often complain feedback has too much focus on the
negative, and that negative comments are usually more specific
than positive ones.[14] Keep the balance between positive and
negative. And offer specific positive comments along with specific
negative comments.
5.c.

Encourage self-regulation
We provide feedback not only to improve a particular writing
performance, but to enable students to become better at
assessing their own work. Providing regular, frequent feedback
encourages "better monitoring and self-regulation of progress by
students".[6] And better self-regulators achieve more.

In light of this, it often makes sense to reduce the amount of

feedback you provide over time. Feedback on more basic ideas
can be eliminated later in the term as the student learns to selfregulate those aspects of their work.
Another way to encourage self-assessment skills is to have
students provide feedback to their peers. Evaluation skills that
students use on their peer's work can translate to their own
performance.

06.

Additional resources
Some fantastic resources for in-depth exploration.
Working with Student Writing: Grading Essays University of California Berkeley
Using video to provide interactive feedbackAnn Arbor.com
Providing Feedback on ESL Students' Written Assignments The Internet TESL
Journal
Giving Feedback On Students' Written WorkSeamus O'Muircheartaigh at
DevelopingTeachers.com
Grading and CommentingTexas A&M Writing Center

Giving Effective Feedback on Student WritingMonica Stitt-Bergh at University of

Hawai'i at Manoa
13 Ways of Looking at Responding to Student WritingDoug Hesse, The
University of Denver
Teaching with Writing - responding and grading University of Minnesota
Improving Student Writing: Using Feedback as a Teaching Tool Shelley Stagg
Peterson, OISE/University of Toronto

07.

Bibliography
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Engineering: Knowledge Without Borders, Opportunities Without Passports,
2007. FIE '07. 37th Annual. 10-13 Oct. 2007. West Virginia Univ.,
Morgantown.
2. Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning.
Assessment in Education, 5(1), 7-74.
3. Boud, D. (1995). Enhancing learning through self-assessment. London:
Kogan Page.
4. Brookhart, S. M. (2008). How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students.
5. Freeman, R., Lewis, R. (1998). Planning and Implementing Assessment.
6. Gibbs, G. and Simpson, C. (2004-05). Conditions under which assessment
supports students' learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1,
3-31.
7. Hounsell, D. (1997) Contrasting conceptions of essay-writing, in: F. Marton,
D. Hounsell & N. Entwistle (Eds) The experience of learning (2nd edn)
(Edinburgh, Scottish Academic Press).
8. Kluger, A. N., DeNisi, A. (1996). The effects of feedback interventions on
performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary

feedback intervention theory. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 119(2), Mar 1996,

254-284.
9. Larkin, T., Budny, D. (2005). Learning Styles in the classroom: Approaches
to enhance Student Motivation and Learning, ITHET 6th Annual
International Conference.
10. Lunsford, R. (1997) When less is more: principles for responding in the
disciplines, in: M.D. Sorcinelli and P. Elbow (Eds) Writing to learn: strategies
for assigning and responding to writing across the disciplines San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
11. MacLellan, E. (2001). Assessment for Learning: The differing perceptions of
tutors and students. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. Vol. 26,
Iss. 4.
12. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) (2000) Code of
Practice for the Assurance of Academic Quality and Standards in Higher
Education, Gloucester: Quality Assurance Agency (available at
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/section6/defa
ult.asp
13. Richards, 2007?
14. Weaver, M. R. (2006). Do students value feedback? Student perceptions of
tutors' written responses. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education
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15. Wojtas, O. (1998). Feedback? No, just give us the answers. Times Higher
Education Supplement.
16. Young 2000?
2016 Colin Monaghan. All rights reserved.

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