Feedback on Assessments and Examinations

Feedback on assessments is incredibly useful so make the most of it!

What is Feedback?

Feedback comes in many forms, for example: comments on a draft of a paper, answers to questions in lectures, discussions we have during seminars and chats during office hours. There are two types of feedback, Formative and Summative:

Formative feedback is meant to help you improve or develop your work for the module in advance of receiving a grade for it.

Summative feedback comes either at the end of the module or after the submission of a work that counts for your final grade for the module.

Each piece of summative feedback also functions as formative feedback for future work.

Feedback comes in many forms, for example: comments on a draft of a paper, answers to questions in lectures, discussions we have during tutorials and chats during office hours. It is also important to note that useful feedback can come from your fellow students – for instance, in class discussions, feedback on micro-essays, informal chats – as well as members of staff.

It is your responsibility to make the best use of these feedback opportunities. Make sure you prepare your drafts and plans on time and that you come see your lecturer or tutor during office hours.

How do I access my feedback?

Your coursework will be marked online by the course leader/tutor via Turnitin (the same place you will have submitted it to). View it in 3 simple steps!

Once your work has been graded and marked, you will be advised via email to review the feedback.
In order to access your graded work via Turnitin you should access the relevant module on Blackboard and follow the links to the Assignment Submission page.
Click on your essay and your grade will be displayed at the top. Feedback will appear in 'speech bubbles' throughout your essay.

On some occasions marked work will be required to be handed back in hard copy. Reception staff will advise students by email when it is ready for collection. Students should bring their student ID card with them to collect work. It may be possible to collect work on behalf of another student but this must be arranged with Reception staff in advance. Exceptional requests for work, feedback or marks to be returned by email cannot be granted.

How do you use feedback?

One thing you can do with the feedback is to simply understand why you got the mark that you did. But this isn’t very good use of the feedback... Used properly, feedback will also tell you how to do better in the future. And that is true even if the module is now over! If, for example, you learn that you had a good original idea but didn’t adequately explain the paper you were discussing, you’ve learned what to work on for the next time.

If you don’t understand the feedback you’ve been given, or you’re not sure how to use it to improve, ask someone! It usually makes best sense to ask the lecturer/tutor who gave you the feedback (usually the module leader). But if you’re concerned with more general issues, or if for some reason you don’t want to do that, you should ask your personal tutor. Be sure to bring both essay and feedback with you if you want this sort of guidance.

You can see the Philosophy Department guidelines for making the most out of your feedback by clicking here. There are also resources on the central University website such as this form:

SNOB Report [Strengths, Needs, Opportunities, Barriers]

SNOB Report

Feedback prior to submission

All students should feel very free to consult lecturers (either during office hours or at other times) about their plans for essays. Lecturers and tutors cannot read full drafts of essays for 1st and 2nd year modules, but they can read basic essay plans and can answer any questions such as, “Is this a good objection or is it just confused?” or “Here’s what I think I’ll say, is that too much to try to do in an essay of this length?” etc.

Feedback for Level 1 & 2

In particular, in all your modules these years you will:

Have the opportunity to discuss your plans for essays and exam with your lecturer or tutor and receive feedback on these plans (during office hours - additional office hours will be scheduled if needed)
Receive feedback on your essays, either electronically or written.
Have the opportunity to discuss with the lecturer or tutor your essay feedback (during office hours).
Have the opportunity to discuss with your lecturer or tutor your understanding of the material and your progress (during office hours).
Have the opportunity to discuss with your lecturer your exam grade (by appointment).

Feedback for Level 3

In particular, in all your modules this year you:

Will have the opportunity to discuss with the lecturer your plans for essay and exam and receive feedback on these plans (during office hours - additional office hours will be scheduled if needed).
Will have the opportunity either to show the lecturer a draft of your essay and receive comments on it (during specially scheduled one-on-one tutorials), or to participate in a peer feedback session (an additional session dedicated to understanding essay marking).
Will receive feedback on your essay, either electronically or written.
Will have the opportunity to discuss with the lecturer your essay feedback (during office hours).
Will have the opportunity to discuss with your lecturer your understanding of the material and your progress (during office hours).
Will have the opportunity to discuss with your lecturer your exam grade (by appointment).

Modules with Essay tutorials

In these modules, you can submit an outline or a full draft to your lecturer. With sufficient time, which will be decided by the lecturer, they can read this before your essay tutorial, which you will sign up for in advance, and give you detailed oral feedback.

Modules with Peer Feedback Sessions

These sessions are designed to help you learn how to improve your own work and those of your classmates when you exchange drafts. In these sessions (to be arranged early in the module), you will read and attempt to mark actual submitted work, and you will then discuss the marks you gave and the reasons for them.

Feedback for Long Essay/Dissertation

If you choose to be examined by Dissertation/Long Essay, you will get feedback from your lecturer on an A4 outline when you apply to take the Long Essay option. You will also be entitled to an essay tutorial (see above).

Feedback for Examinations

Unfortunately due to the sheer volume of exam script marking, you will only receive an overall grade for the examination, however, if you would like some feedback on your examination, please contact either the module lead or your academic tutor, with details of the exam you require feedback for. Exam scripts are not permitted to leave the department, the feedback will be given, during either the module leads or academic tutors office hours.

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