Feedback and GradingSheryl Holt

University of Minnesota

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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?

• 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

For studentsOR

For instructors

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

– 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 2007LIP 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 countsFor final drafts - Use the response rubric without writing on the papersConsider 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 suggestionsEncourage them to visit your office with specific concerns and reasonsOther 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 centeredMake 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:• 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 activityShowing 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 rewardsWith many students.

Areas to comment on with feedback strategıes

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To read on your own if you wish

Problem - Logical Development

• 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:

– “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