Skip to Main Content
​
​
​

Mailing Address

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)
11066 Auke Lake Way
Juneau, AK 99801
Mailstop: BE1

Email

Phone

    Effective Feedback for Student Growth

    • Teaching Strategies
    • Inclusive & Equitable Teaching
    • Assessment

    Last modified: October 3, 2022

    Feedback is one of the most powerful tools instructors can use to influence student learning.

    Set Students up for Success

    Giving whole-class feedback about strategies used by successful students can help start students off strong. 

    • Encourage students to use metacognitive strategies
      • One way to do this is to narrate your thought process out loud when giving a demonstration
    • Help students schedule blocks of time to complete work
      • Ask students to use a calendar to map out time for homework or plan out a complex project
    • Give time estimates for assignments to help students plan (and understand the level of work expected)
      • Sharing models of past work or sample work can be helpful, too
    • Let students know about support services (Learning Center, Writing Center, Library) AND reinforce that successful students use these resources
    • Set high expectations and let students know you have confidence that they can meet them

    Encourage a Growth Mindset

    A growth mindset is a belief that intelligence is not "fixed," and that a person can improve in a subject with effort and support.

    • Teach students about the concept of growth mindset
    • Help students see that mistakes are a part of the learning process
    • Provide support for successful habits
    • Use “wise feedback” framing statements (see below for more on this)
    • Consider your own mindset - how can you demonstrate a growth mindset to your students?

    In-Class Feedback

    For incorrect answers:

    • Can you say more about that?
    • This is an important misconception. Let’s look at it more deeply.
    • I’m glad you mentioned that. It is a common misconception. Let’s look more closely at…
    • I also struggled with this concept when I first encountered it.
    • A lot of students have difficulty with this.

    Feedback on Assignments

    When giving feedback on assignments:

    • Make it frequent, constructive, timely, and specific
    • Focus on students’ strengths, and provide concrete suggestions for improvement
    • Assume best intentions
    • Construct good rubrics and use them
    • Incorporate reflection activities
    • Consider using video / audio feedback, especially for online classes

    Wise Feedback Framing Statements:

    • Communicate High Standards + Effort + Ability + Specific Action
    • Proven to be effective, especially with BIPOC students
    • Examples (without specific actions):
      • [Student Name], I have provided these comments to help you grow your understanding of this material. These concepts are challenging, but I know that you are capable of mastering them. After reviewing these comments, please reach out if you have any questions or want advice about how to use this feedback to improve on future assignments.
      • I have posted the answers to the midterm. If you did not get the grade you hoped for, that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed in this class. I have structured the course to make sure students can learn from each assignment and apply what they learned on the next assignment. You have the pre-reqs or tested into this course, so I know you can do it. Be sure to review the syllabus and our course site where I have listed resources that can help all students succeed in this course.

    Managing Feedback

    Even though giving feedback is very important, it can also be time-consuming to implement. Here are a few tips to help manage your workload:

    • Keep a document where you can save frequently used feedback & comments
    • Come up with several “wise feedback” statements that you can reuse
    • If you notice that you are consistently giving the same feedback, reflect on your instruction and assignment to see if they need changes
    • If students aren't reading or using the feedback you give:
      • Have them incorporate the feedback into the assignment and resubmit
      • Ask them to write a response to your feedback
      • Share the feedback first, and once students have read the feedback, then release the grade for the assignment
    ​