Feedback and Grading
Sheryl Holt
University of Minnesota
.
Purpose of Feedback?
Encourage and guide
students in how to
improve their next drafts
Justify the grade?
Justify your frustration with their lack of effort?
Facilitate editing?
What do students want?
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Get positive feedback (reward)
Improve their next draft
Editing – “correct all my grammar”
Clear direction - “Tell me exactly what to do”
No MAGIC solutions or quick fixes
students
OR
For instructors
For
No ONE way to give
feedback on papers!
Self Reflection: What do you focus on?
When you assess or comment on student papers,
what do you look at? Is there a difference at various
stages of writing?
Do you mostly concentrate on
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the logic and development of the ideas
the creativity with which they are presented
the structure of the writing (paragraphing…)
the grammar, vocabulary, or punctuation (mechanics)
everything
How do your methods compare to
your peers’ feedback?
What do students want?
From student interviews:
• Most students wanted longer and specific comments
on both form and content. Most students indicated
that their English teachers did not give enough
specıfıc suggestions and comments on their
compositions and stressed that they needed it very
much.
• Many students also indicated that the comments and
suggestions were very general, short, and lacked
substance.
Students’ and Teachers’ Responses Towards Teacher Written Feedback on Students’ Writing: How helpful is it?
The World Association of Lesson Studies International Conference 2007
LIP Paul Chi Hong; Cariitas Instiitute for Further & Adult Education--Kowloon
Teachers’ comment on feedback
From teacher interviews:
• They could not fulfill the students’ demand to give
detailed comments on both form and grammar due to
time constraints and marking pressure. Most of the
teachers were overwhelmed with marking numerous
compositions they had to mark.
• Some teachers emphasized that their biggest hurdle was
the pressure of marking.
What’s effective feedback?
• Is given when and where it counts.
• Involves mostly questions and reactions, ...
• ..but also includes specific, direct suggestions
rather than corrections, judgments, and rules.
• Is limited- provides students with a limited
number of specific responses and suggestions for
revision.
• Is student centered – gives more responsibility to
the students
Is given where it counts
In the margins,
• "Wow, this really surprised me…"
• “This is a great example.”
• “Why do you think this?"
• “What do you mean here?“
NOT ALL ERRORS NEED TO BE COMMENTED ON
• Add a one-paragraph final global comment OR
• Add comments on the rubric
Is given where it counts
For final drafts - Use the response rubric without writing on the papers
Consider voicing one positive comment
– "This is a strong draft with nice critical thinking…"
– "I was interested to read…“
AND ONLY
• one or two primary concerns
• one or two specific suggestions
Encourage them to visit your office with specific concerns and reasons
Other possıble strategies for drafts
• Mark only the presence of a grammar problem with an X or
underline, leaving it up to the student to locate and correct it.
• Hold one-on-one conferences to respond verbally (don’t mark the
papers)
Involves mostly questions and reactions
Try to focus on global comments first: in your
reading, in your comments, in your
conversations with students, and in your grading
 does the paper respond to the assignment?
 does it contain a clear main argument/thesis?
 is it effectively organized?
 does it reflect critical thinking?
Gives specific, direct comments
“You have too many ideas in this paragraph”
“Give us proof of this idea”
“Give a reference”
“An example would help”
Is limited
• Maybe choose fewer codes
• Read without a pencil before you comment.
• Not all papers need extensive commenting
• Write-to-learn papers: journals, reactions, prelımınary drafts
• Perfection is not the goal for most papers
Have you ever overcorrected so students
don’t know what to focus on ?
Have you felt that you have to
respond to every writing piece? (guilt)
Is student centered
Make students more responsible for their own learning
and feedback
• Have students respond to your comments by completing
reflective memos or cover letters on which they
reflect on one or more of the following:
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•
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the final draft's strengths and weaknesses
what they focused on for changes
what they'd change ıf they were to rewrite it, and/or
require answers to specific questions or reflections on the
process they used to write it.
• Have students fill out the rubric and justify their reasons
In-class activities
reduce your feedback efforts
Review grammar forms in class and ask students to find their
own mistakes on that form? Mark only these errors.
Peer review: Ask specific questions such as Underline the thesis
statement and three key arguments). What is the author’s
most interestıng point? Give one suggestion to make the
argument stronger. Train them to give effective peer
feedback!!
Self-review: Save 10 min. (or longer) in class before handing in a
draft to let them read, ask questions, correct problem areas.
Have them read their writing aloud to others in conference
groups or to the class.
Show samples or models of thesis-driven texts that they analyze.
Evaluate student samples (not theirs?) as a class and have
students discuss good and bad, mark grammar codes, etc.
Make feedback a group activity
Showing common errors in class:
1. Helps students understand the marking codes.
2. Persuades weaker students to pay attention to
their common errors.
3. Helps students, especially the weaker ones,
participate in class so everyone can learn from
each other.
4. Prepares them for their own revisions.
Jing.com
Instead of writing, record comments on audiotape/computer,
course website or Jing.com
Example of the Jing correction method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27OEMNEV
_AA
Have them give you feedback
• Make them respond in some way to your feedback:
memos, cover letters, short paragraph: What was
helpful? What dıd you focus on in correctıons? What
confused you about my comments?
• Have them give anonymous evaluations/feedback
mid-term responding to TWO questions:
– What type of feedback is most helpful? – for grammar and
for content
– What do you usually pay most attention to in my
comments?
Final Word: Enjoy the rewards
Commenting isn’t always fun and it’s time
consuming, BUT there are great rewards
With many students.
Areas to comment on with
feedback strategıes
.
To read
on your
own if
you wish
Problem - Logical Development
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Difficulty with thesis/topic narrowing
Lack of clear, direct thesis statement
Inadequate proving or supporting the thesis
Placement of main ideas in the middle or at
the end of paragraphs/sections instead of first
(topic sentences)
• Lack of signal phrases and transitions
“Therefore, the purpose of this…”
Feedback Strategies for Logic
• Pre-approve thesis
statements and “plans” or
outlines
• When commenting, be
specific - ask students to
“add an example here”
instead of “develop further.”
• Meet individually with the
student
• Have students peer
conference in class – or
outsıde of class wıth a
worksheet to fill in
Problem - Support for Ideas
• Lack of support for ideas (inadequate
evidence)
• Gaps between ideas (few connections)
• Lack of integration of student’s ideas and the
sources
• Inadequate sources or research
• Have “written everything I can think of”
instead of a unified theme
Feedback Strategies for
Support for Ideas
Determine if it is lack of experience with research skills,
lack of English writing standards, or stream of
consciousness writing?
• Comment on research skills/resources
• Comment on the connections:
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“You could use a connection here…”
How does this agree or disagree with the source?
How are these ideas connected?
What do you mean here? Explain it further.
Problem - Audience Experience
• Lack of knowledge of academic readers
(formal/informal language, what academic
readers want to know…)
• Lack of “academic voice” or use of the wrong
type of vocabulary (stuff).
• Lack of samples/examples/models of
“academic writing.”
Feedback Strategies for Audience
• Spend time talking in class about the
expectations of the audience; become a
“cultural and academic informant.”
• Clearly describe the audience on the
assignment sheet
• Gather sample papers of thesis-driven essays
for students to view (have a file in the
department or class website?)
Problem – Lack of Critical Thinking
• Little appreciation of need for “critical
thinking” – especially freshmen
• Lack of experience writing critically
• “Story-telling” or reporting facts ınstead of
giving analysis
• Writing what “pleases”
the professor.
Problem – Lack of Critical Thinking
• Not narrowing the topic sufficiently (usually
too broad)
• Difficulty stating a unique point of view – their
analysis seems shallow (lack of research, lack
of deep reading skills, lack of effort?)
• Overuse of outside sources or information or
too lıttle incorporating research into the paper
Feedback Strategies for Critical
Thinking
• Give “permission” or requirement to add their
own perspectives
• Ask a lot of “why” questions in class
• Point out examples of critical thinking in
samples – be explicit about what language
shows critical thinking
Problem - Plagiarism
• Lack of experience and knowledge of norms
• “How can I say it better than the author?” –
Lack of language for paraphrasing
• Pressure to succeed
Feedback Strategies for Plagiarism
• Provide clear guidelines on assignment sheets
• Explicitly teach standards: not just the
mechanics but the concepts