Feedback
There are six topics in this section relating to Writing and assessments:
Critical essay writing | Reflective writing | Reports | Dissertations | Academic writing, editing, proof-reading | Feedback (this page) | Artificial intelligence
Students at Sussex receive various kinds of feedback about their academic progress. It’s an essential part of learning at university. Feedback highlights the areas of study that are going well, the ones that need work, and what to do to improve.
Receiving Feedback
There are various ways of getting feedback on your work at Sussex. Often, it depends on your course, but there are also methods of getting feedback that you can actively seek out.
- your tutor provides marks and comments on your submitted work
- you may get this feedback online in writing or audio or as comments written on your work
- your mark reflects your achievement for that particular piece of work
- the comments are not a justification for your mark
- your tutor selects and comments on the most important areas where you've done well and where you can improve. Tutors carefully select their feedback and won't comment on everything.
- during teaching sessions, tutors may give you verbal feedback
- try to contribute in seminars and, when appropriate, ask questions in lectures. It can seem daunting at first to speak out, but these are your opportunities to express your ideas. Your tutor can only give you feedback if you participate
- often, verbal feedback is given immediately after a presentation or during discussions. You may be so relieved after finishing a presentation that you lose concentration and miss valuable feedback. It's a good idea to make some quick notes of what people say so you can re-read them later - or ask permission to record their comments, if that's easier
Sussex students analysing feedback together
- if you are not clear how you could improve your work, make an appointment to speak to the tutor for the module or your Academic Advisor
- your tutor has office hours when they are available to discuss your progress. Check the module Canvas page for how to make an appointment
- make the most of your Academic Advisor. Your Academic Advisor can offer you guidance and discuss your academic performance throughout your degree. You may find it helpful to talk about specific pieces of work and the feedback you have received. It might be useful to send the work to them before you meet
- for your modules at Sussex, your tutors set up a Canvas site with resources to support your learning. The sites include links to lecture recordings and slide and recommended materials, and there may be opportunities for feedback. Forum discussions can be a good way to get informal feedback and discuss ideas with other students on your module. Your tutor is able to see your discussions and contribute to any discussion threads
- discussing ideas with other students on your course can be an effective way of developing your ideas. If you are struggling with new concepts, other students may be able to explain them to you in a way that you understand. They may also be able to suggest materials that they found useful
- the Student Mentor scheme in your School is another way to gain feedback from your peers. Find out more about mentoring on your School website
- compare your marks for different modules, and for assignments within modules. This helps you work out where you need to improve. Marks for each year are released the following September. So, in September of your third year, you can look at all your marks from the second year on Canvas.
Let’s be honest - It is never easy to receive feedback which criticises your work. You may even feel upset or confused about the feedback you get. This is normal. Remember to take a balanced view: not only are there areas for improvement, but there are also parts that you did well. Allow yourself to feel proud about them. Assessments at university are about progressing and getting better. Perhaps you didn’t do as well as you wanted, but there are always more opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills.
Using Feedback
Being a good reflective learner entails thinking about the feedback you receive and implementing it into your next assessment.
- many students just look at their mark and don’t read the comments carefully. This is a mistake. It is important to read and understand what your tutor thought of the different parts of your assignment
- the assessment may be over but that does not mean the feedback is now irrelevant
- note down all the comments that were made about how you could improve your work. This helps you understand good performance and what is expected of you
- review the assignment guidelines to make sure you understand where you could have done better
- tutors may give advice on common errors made in students' work in general feedback from the assessment, or in lectures or other sessions. For some modules, your tutors provide sample answers. Work through these examples to see where you went wrong and how to improve
- identify specific goals to help you improve next time
- are there any suggestions in the comments that you can take on board now, before you start the next assessment, e.g., reading more widely in your field of study?
- always re-read the comments before you start your next piece of written work.
- keep all comments from all feedback in the same place, so that you begin to build up a picture of your progress throughout your degree, and areas that you need to focus on
Adapted from Nicol, D. J. & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006) 'Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice' Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), pp. 199-218.
Other topics in this section relating to Writing and assessments:
Critical essay writing | Reflective writing | Reports | Dissertations | Academic writing style, editing and proof-reading | Feedback (this page)