The main objectives of feedback are to:
- justify to students how their mark or grade was derived
- identify and reward specific qualities in student work
- guide students on what steps to take to improve
- motivate them to act on their assessment
- develop their capability to monitor, evaluate and regulate their own learning
To benefit learning, feedback needs to be:
Constructive as well as highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of a given piece of work, it should set out ways in which the student can improve the work.
Timely. Give feedback while the assessed work is still fresh in a student’s mind, before the student moves on to subsequent tasks.
Meaningful. It should target individual needs, be linked to specific assessment criteria, and be received by a student in time to benefit subsequent work.
