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Types of feedback
All students will benefit from clear, constructive and timely feedback.
This table is about making global and specific statements when giving feedback.
If you are going to take up a particular point (point specific) are you going to re-work it, and write it properly without explanation? Or are you going to do something constructive like highlighting the error, or, are you going to explain the grammatical difficulty underlying the error?
The first two columns below are general positive comments.
For example, Global feedback (read these down) will provide positive reinforcement on a very large scale to provide encouragement.
Then, Point specific feedback is to provide positive, detailed statements about the work, such as "I really like"...
The second two columns give more specific instructions on how to correct the work.
If all students make the same mistake, you can use it as a teaching point to instruct the whole class.
| GLOBAL | POINT SPECIFIC | GLOBAL | POINT SPECIFIC |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Great essay! I enjoyed reading this very much Nice piece of work! |
I liked the way you have described... You have some well formed paragraphs here - good work Although I have made lots of small corrections, overall your report is well structured |
Use more formal language Try and improve your sentence structure Too much detail Too general |
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Provides encouragement on the whole writing process |
Provides encouragement and focus on specific skills |
Can the students identify what you are asking them to correct? (eg, formal language, structure) Do they know how to do what you are asking them? (eg, use less detail, make more general) |
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| GLOBAL +VE | POINT SPECIFIC +VE | GLOBAL (error context) | POINT SPECIFIC -(error context) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Good treatment of topic. Great argument. Well argued. |
I liked the way you have described... You show a good understanding of the theory This was a well structured essay so I found it very easy to read You are organised the content well with good examples which support your point of view |
You have failed to provide any statement on the scope of the essay in the introduction. It was not clear when you were contrasting theory x and theory y. Try and use 'contrasting' words, such as 'In contrast', 'on the other hand', 'however', etc. There are several contradictions in your essay. Your thesis statement is not followed through or supported. There needs to be more signposting throughout the essay to guide the reader (eg, firstly, secondly, therefore, etc). Your counter argument is not well introduced so the reader does not know when you begin to describe the other side of the issue. You need to support your point of view with references from the literature, data etc. Unreferenced material plagiarism. This essay shows that you have not read widely on the topic. You have made a lot of general statements and not offered any specific examples. Absence of your own voice explicating readings etc You have not understood the question. Failure to answer the question. Your writing relies too much on the literature and there is little evidence of your own understanding. Lack of coherence between sections of text. |
You have used this quote out of context. Your quotes, figures, tables are not integrated into the text. You are several statements which contradict each other... You have not included enough examples or references to support your idea. Your ideas do not seem to link or follow on from each other, use words like 'for example', therefore' etc to guide the reader through your argument. Check the use of nevertheless, despite, and on the other hand... Editing a students' work will not guarantee that they learn what they did wrong or that they will transfer the correct forms to the next time they write. If many students have not understood the question - write it up, underline the key words, decide in groups what key points they want to make. Write out a thesis statement. |
Source: Dr Judith Rochecouste, CALT Monash University
CALT can help with feedback in an error context with consciousness raising and providing alternatives.
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