Feedback
Geraint Owen
(Geography, Geology)
g.owen@swansea.ac.uk
Why give feedback?
Justify marks
Highlight strengths & weaknesses
(“Your introduction is too short”)
Specific points to improve performance
next time
(“Your introduction should be at least x
lines long; your short introduction resulted
in a loss of y marks”)
Forms of feedback
Verbal to individuals
Verbal to group
Written comments on scripts
Written reports for individuals
Written comments for group
Model answers
Forms of feedback
Verbal to individuals
Verbal to group
Written comments on scripts
Written reports for individuals
Written comments for group
Model answers
Examples
GEL101 - level one geology; one-semester
module; choice of examination essays
Swansea University: School of the Environment and Society
Level One Geology
GEL101: Comments on examination answers, January 2008
GENERAL COMMENTS

Part of the test of writing an essay is to show that you can relate your answer to the
question that has been asked. Many of you did not do this at all well. As a result, you
did not get many marks.

PLEASE spend more time THINKING about the questions before you start writing
your answers. Far too many people throw away marks by skirting around the
question, or deviating from the point. Read the comments on Q7.

It was quite clear that some of you were attempting to answer questions relating to
lectures you had not attended and topics you had read nothing about. As a result, you
got very low marks for those answers. You MUST attend lectures, however dull you
may find some of them, in order to know what has been covered, what you are
expected to know and understand, and how it all fits together. That applies to ALL
subjects you are studying. And you MUST read and study in between lectures - most
definitely the relevant parts of the main text-books, but also other relevant reading that
you have been directed to, and more besides. Again, this applies to ALL subjects you
are studying. At University the onus is on YOU to get on with studying; examinations
are where we ask you to demonstrate that you have been capable of taking a mature,
adult approach to the business of studying. A significant minority of you seem to be
incapable of this.
COMMENTS ON SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
1.
Describe the internal structure of the common silicate minerals and explain
how the internal structure influences the external properties.
For a very straightforward question, there were a lot of fairly poor answers, although
most of you had the right idea. Diamond, graphite and calcite are NOT silicate
minerals and are therefore irrelevant to the question. Quite a few of you say that the
basic tetrahedral building block of the silicate minerals can bond in seven different
ways and then discuss only five of them. Many of you did not EXPLAIN how the
internal structures influenced the external properties; for example, stating that single
chain silicates have 2 cleavages at 90º and double chain silicates have 2 cleavages
at 124º does not explain WHY this happens. This question also has nothing to do
with Bowen’s reaction series.
2A. Explain the geographical distribution of igneous activity on Earth and the
distribution of different types of volcanoes.
This was a straightforward question, which produced average answers. Many of you
could have answered question 2B better with the information that you gave in your
answers. The question asks you to explain the GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION of
igneous activity and the DISTRIBUTION of the different types of volcanoes. It does
NOT ask you about the characteristics of the different volcanoes or how dangerous
they are or what igneous rocks are. THINK carefully about what the question is
asking you.
2B. Describe the origins of basaltic, andesitic and rhyolitic magmas.
With a few exceptions many of you missed the point of this question. The question is
NOT asking about the type of volcanics produced from the magma but about the
ORIGIN of the different types of magma i.e how the magma is formed. If you do not
know what the word origin means, look it up in the dictionary and don’t answer the
question!
3.
What changes occur during regional metamorphism of mudstones as
pressures and temperatures increase?
This was a very straightforward question that was very poorly answered. Many of you
did not describe the changes that happen to a mudstone as a result of regional
metamorphism at all. You should have been describing the changes of a mudstone
through slate, phyllite, schist and gneiss. Attendance at lectures, some additional
reading and revision should have allowed you to answer this question well.
========
4A. Describe the characteristics of continental and oceanic crust, and explain how
oceanic crust is formed and destroyed.
There were a lot of good answers to this straightforward question. However, very few
answers described the structure of oceanic crust (deep-sea sediments overlying
pillow basalts overlying sheeted dolerite dykes overlying gabbro), which is an
important aspect of its characteristics and can be related directly to its formation at
constructive plate boundaries. Quite a few of you began by saying there are many
differences between oceanic and continental crust, but then mentioned just thickness
(or density)! Many of you need to be very careful with the concept of density. A
small number of answers simply told me about different kinds of plate boundaries this is not an adequate answer to this question; you MUST take care to address the
question that has been asked.
4B. Discuss the contribution of plate tectonics to the understanding of geology
and geological processes.
This question was poorly answered. It was not as straightforward as 4A, but we did
spend one full lecture considering those aspects of geology that can be explained by
an understanding of plate tectonics, such as the interpretation of ocean basin
morphology, the evolution of orogenic belts, the structure of oceanic crust, the origin
and distribution of earthquakes, the distribution and variety of volcanic activity, the
understanding of intra-plate volcanism and the explanation of continental drift, plus
others. Most of the answers to this question were limited to a (not very good)
account of different types of plate boundary, and were therefore limited to not very
many marks. Please note that Alfred Wegener did NOT propose plate tectonics; if
you’re not clear about this, do some reading.
5A. Describe the stages in the formation of a sedimentary rock.
This is as straightforward as exam questions come, and relates directly to one
particular lecture, the first one on sedimentary rocks. There were some excellent
answers - comprehensive, thorough and clear - but there were also far too many
answers that were incomplete and/or superficial and/or dwelling on issues that were
not relevant to the question (such as the classification of sandstones). Most answers
had the right idea, but few of you went into any detail on weathering processes and
Examples
GEL101 - level one geology; one-semester
module; choice of examination essays
GEL102 - level one geology; one-semester
module; practical exercises; practical exam
LEVEL ONE GEOLOGY: GEL102
SEDIMENTOLOGY PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
Practical 1: ROCK DESCRIPTION AND IDENTIFICATION
Descriptions of sedimentary rocks should contain the following:
Description:
colour texture (MUST include grain size)
composition -
Name:
Interpretation / other:
A.
S9 is a red, medium/coarse grained sub-feldspathic arenite (= sub-arkose). The
grains are very well rounded and well sorted. There is a quartz cement. Porosity is
visible.
SS9 is a very coarse grained lithic wacke. Grains are angular and very poorly sorted.
The rock has been lithified by its clay matrix.
B.
S25 is a bioclastic wackestone
packstone, depending on specimens).
(or
S28 is an oolitic grainstone.
C.
S1 is poorly sorted pebble conglomerate with
a medium to coarse sand matrix. Some
specimens are dominated by quartz clasts
(quartz conglomerate); others have some
lithic clasts.
S6 is moderately sorted, lithic pebble breccia.
The clasts are fragments of limestone, there
is a muddy matrix (also of carbonate
composition) and patches of calcite cement.
D.
S20 is black/dark grey mudstone. Its
composition is dominated by clay minerals.
Some specimens show bedding picked out by
slightly coarser grained material.
S21 is a black shale. Most specimens show
plant fossils. Finely broken plant material
(carbon-rich, organic) contributes to the colour
of the rock, and it can be described as a
carbonaceous shale, but most of the
specimen comprises clay minerals.
S41 is coal. Its composition is carbon.
E.
S13 is a moderately sorted medium/coarse quartz arenite with a quartz cement; the
rock is a quartzite. Some of you saw this rock type on the Black Mountain field class.
A15 is a quartz pebble conglomerate with a coarse sand matrix.
A17 is a greywacke. It is not a mudstone.
S19 is a micaceous fine-grained lithic arenite. It is not a mudstone.
S22 is a red siltstone. There is some calcareous (carbonate) content. A calcareous
siltstone is often referred to as a marl.
GO 11/09
Swansea University: School of the Environment and Society
Level One Geology: GEL102
Feedback on Amroth field class
 I have marked a grade (A-E) on your work. These will be converted to marks out of 10
as follows: A (10), A- (9), B+ (8), B (7.5), B- (7), C+ (6.5), C (6), C- (5), D+ (4.5), D (4), E
(2). The modal grade is B/B- and the average mark is 6.7. The module pass mark will
be 40%.
 I will return the work at this week’s practical class.
 Your work was generally good and you did well, particularly considering the short time
we had at the site. You should all try to record your observations more carefully. Be
more deliberate in your drawing of lines to represent bedding - in several sketches,
there was a mess of criss-crossing lines in the centre of the structure. Try to
supplement your diagrams, field sketches and logs with more detailed notes of your
observations. You all seem to have got the hang of drawing a graphic log. There was a
lack of detail on most of the logs, but this is probably due to the short time you had to
describe the section. You will spend more time on graphic logs in this week’s practical
class.
 Make sure you spend time studying the PowerPoint “Amroth feedback 2010” on the
Blackboard site for GEL102. Compare the graphic log on the feedback with your own,
and make sure you understand how the log relates to the section. Study the
photograph of the fold closely and consider how your diagram of the fold could have
been improved. Do this before the practical class this week, on Thursday 2nd
December.
Geraint Owen, November 2010
LEVEL ONE GEOLOGY 2010-2011
GEL102: SEDIMENTARY ROCK PRACTICALS
FEEDBACK
 Most of the work was good. The graphic logs were well drawn and the facies analysis
to determine the environment of deposition was carried out well, although many of you
failed to complete questions C4-6.
 The most disappointing feature of most people’s work was your drawings. In most
cases, these were carelessly drawn and failed to show the key features of the specimen
being described. You’ve been given plenty of advice now about why and how to draw
geological features. Remember that your drawing must demonstrate the reasons
behind your interpretation of the feature; if you identify the particles in a limestone as
ooids, your drawing must show why you thought the particles were ooids.
 Many of your drawings would be improved with some thoughtful labelling. In particular,
many of the sedimentary structure drawings were not very useful because they lacked
explanatory labelling (annotation). Draw an arrow to show the palaeocurrent direction
for the sedimentary structures.
 Make sure all your drawings have an indication of scale.
 Drawing is a skill, so keep working at it to improve your drawings. Good drawings are
important, not only in geology, but in physical geography and in general situations like
when you have a bump in your car and have to explain to the insurers why it wasn’t
your fault!
 Be precise in your observations. You have a standard scale for describing grain size;
“quite small” is not part of that scale!
 In estimating the composition of rocks, your percentages must total 100.
 Grades will convert to marks as follows: A (5), A- (4½), B+ (4), B (3½), B- (3), C+ (2½),
C/C- (2), D (1½), D- (1), E (½).
Geraint Owen
December 2010
LEVEL ONE GEOLOGY 2010-2011
GEL102 Practical Test - Week 11
 The marks are percentages. The average mark is 58% (last year 53%).
 The module pass mark for University assessment is 40%. Module marks
between 30% and 39% may be considered as tolerated fails, provided not more
than 40 credits in total are failed and none are below 30%. When all your results
are considered in June, if any modules cannot be tolerated, you will have
supplementary examinations in August in all failed modules. Therefore, if you
achieve below 30% in any module, you will have re-sit exams for all modules in
which you achieve less than 40%.
 Nobody got less than 30% in the test, although some marks for individual parts
were below 30%. You should all be able to improve your marks by at least 5%
in the January exam if you pay attention to the feedback comments below.
 The test contributes 10% of the marks for GEL102.
 I have given your percentage mark for each part of the test, so you can see
where you did well and where you need to put in more work.
The average marks for the 3 parts were:
Part A: general rock description
54%
(last year 52%)
Part B: minerals and igneous rocks
64%
(last year 60%)
Part C: sedimentology
54%
(last year 48%)
Feedback
 You need to observe much more closely and carefully. Use your hand
lenses! The first rock in Part A had large white crystals of feldspar. Many of
you identified this as quartz, despite the obvious presence of conspicuous
cleavage surfaces. The third rock in Part A had fragments “floating” in a
groundmass. Many of you glanced at this and identified it (wrongly) as
sedimentary; the fragments were well-formed crystals with regular shapes,
straight and parallel edges, and sharp corners – this was an igneous rock.
 Many drawings, particularly in Part B, were poor. Remember that you make
drawings to summarise your observations; many drawings failed to show
accurate observations, such as the shapes of the pieces making up the rock.
Although you were told that the rock in Part B was an igneous rock, it was
impossible to determine that from some of the drawings.
 Many of the answers to the properties and identification of the 3 minerals in Part
B were good – well done.
 There were some very disappointing answers to straightforward questions. You
must know that the chemical formula of quartz is SiO2.
 You must integrate work you have done in different modules.
This is an
important skill that you must develop if you are to do well at University.
Everybody who takes GEL102 is also taking GEL101. So you should all know
what bedform gives rise to cross-bedding. You must know how to determine
Examples
GEL101 - level one geology; one-semester
module; choice of examination essays
GEL102 - level one geology; one-semester
module; practical exercises; practical exam
GEL247 - level two natural hazards;
assessed seminars as part of coursework
GEG247 Dangerous Earth 2008-2009
Comments on the seminar presentations
Most of you did a very good job of the seminar presentations. I was very pleased with
your time-keeping, the way you kept to the remit and addressed both your specific topic
and its relevance to your group’s issue, the group organisation which meant that I didn’t
have to do very much at all, the use of PowerPoint, and the discussion that followed. Well
done!
You will have to do similar things again in the future, so here is some advice to help you
improve your presentations.

Delivery. Give some thought not only to what you want to say, but how you say it.
Think about how your audience will perceive you. Look confident. Project your voice.
Make eye contact with your audience. Appear interested in what you are talking
about. Try not to read from a script, and if you do, be very careful not to read too fast.
What seems a reasonable speed when reading or practising is usually too fast for a
presentation; your audience will not be able to keep up with you. It is worth
deliberately pausing from time to time (to take a deep breath or look up at your
audience) not only to engage with the audience, but to allow them to catch up with
your message.

Reading or speaking? Try not to read from a script. It is very difficult to make your
presentation lively and interesting if you are reading - unless you’re very good at it. A
spoken presentation will usually come across in a much more dynamic, engaging and
lively manner. Have summary notes, or prompt cards so that you don’t get lost. But
it’s best not to write out a presentation, learn it and then recite it; this will come across
in the same way as reading, and if you do lose your place it will be very difficult to find
where you should be. The danger of speaking as opposed to reading is that if you
lose track of where you should be or forget something, you can easily lose a significant
amount of time.

Timing and content. Three minutes is not very long. The most effective
presentations were those that put across a small number of simple, well structured key
points. Trimming your presentation down to the bare essentials of what you can
cover in the time is a very difficult task, but is very important in giving a good
presentation.

Structure your presentation. A seminar presentation is not the same as an essay
spoken aloud. You must think about what you plan to say in terms of a very small
number of very clear key points. You may find that you have to omit some points or
case studies that you would like to include, in which case you will have to consider
carefully what to leave out and how that will affect the rest of your talk, including your
overall message.

Rehearse your talk. Try to make allowance for the fact that you will probably talk
more slowly if you feel you are talking to a large group (ie you are looking at them from
time to time) than if you are speaking in front of a couple of mates or a tutorial group.
Finally, once again, well done and thank you for an interesting and stimulating series of
seminars.
Geraint Owen
March 2009
Examples
GEL101 - level one geology; one-semester
module; choice of examination essays
GEL102 - level one geology; one-semester
module; practical exercises; practical exam
GEL247 - level two natural hazards;
assessed seminars as part of coursework
GEG252 - geography overseas field course;
several assessment elements
Swansea University: Geography
Continuous Assessment Mark and Comment Sheet
Session 2009-2010
GEG252: Geographical Fieldwork Skills (Vancouver Field Course) 2010
Physical Geography Assessment
Student’s Name:
Student Number:
1. Field Notebook: Provisional mark awarded:
75%
Comment: Excellent notebook – very well and originally organised,
detailed observations and lots of extra, useful sketches, diagrams and
photographs. For some of the days, the text lacks a bit of detail.
2. Field course report: Provisional mark awarded:
68%
Comment: A very good report, clearly structured and presented, but
lacking sufficient information on the chronology of the evolution. Nice
selection of illustrations and pictures.
3. Field guide: Provisional mark awarded:
62%
Comment: Good presentation but you fail to provide an overview
linking the sites together - your cover sheet duplicates the site
information. Well illustrated, but your design leaves lots of empty
space - there is room for more text, providing more interpretation. Be
careful - one of your “Joffre Lake” photos is Duffy Lake.
4. Seminar at Squamish: Provisional mark awarded:
Comment: Very good contribution to very good seminar.
66%
5. ‘Living with Risk’ poster: Provisional mark awarded:
66%
Comment: (Snow avalanches) Well presented poster, although the
overall structure could be clearer and the different elements could be
better integrated.
Provisional Final Module Mark:
67%
Name of Marker:…………………….… Signature:………..…………..
Date:……………………………………………………………………….
Swansea University: Geography
Continuous Assessment Mark and Comment Sheet
Session 2009-2010
GEG252: Geographical Fieldwork Skills (Vancouver Field Course) 2010
Physical Geography Assessment
Student’s Name:
Student Number:
1. Field Notebook: Provisional mark awarded:
72%
Comment: Very good record of observations. Drawings are very good.
Good integration of afterthoughts. Excellent performance in the field.
2. Field course report: Provisional mark awarded:
74%
Comment: Comprehensive account, mostly well structured in terms of
chronology. But balance could have been better - you wrote little about
volcanoes but went into minute detail about Seymour Valley glacial
deposits. More examples and illustrations would have improved the
work further.
3. Field guide: Provisional mark awarded:
68%
Comment: Very good, attractively presented guide. Good maps and
location information, often own sketches. However, there seems to be
no common theme for this guide.
4. Seminar at Squamish: Provisional mark awarded:
74%
Comment: Excellent contribution to excellent seminar. You answered
questions very well.
5. ‘Living with Risk’ poster: Provisional mark awarded:
67%
Comment: (Landslides) Very good, clear layout and illustrations. Very
good selection of topics. You could have done more to emphasise
headings and key points.
Provisional Final Module Mark:
71%
Name of Marker:…………………….… Signature:………..…………..
Date:……………………………………………………………………….
Key points
Call it feedback
Be positive as well as negative
Be constructive
Link to marking
schemes/guidelines/criteria
Give some feedback for everything