Deconstructing a research report

The following tips are from our Academic Skills Services at CSU to improve your grades! 

It is common for students to feel frustrated by marks, particularly when you feel you have put a lot of work into the assessment. Remember, though, that the highest marks go to submissions which reflect not only effort, but also knowledge, skills, and focus. Some good strategies to use when reviewing your lecturer’s feedback is to ask yourself these questions:

• Did I follow all task instructions closely, understand the relevant subject content, read widely, apply my knowledge skilfully, write clearly, and reference accurately?

• Have I read and understood the group feedback provided by the lecturer on the subject Interact2 site or followed any relevant discussions in the forums?

• Have I read the feedback that I received (in-text and in the final comments) and do I understand it?

• Have I read and understood the marking rubric and checked my work against the performance standards for both the grade level I received and the grade I was aiming for?

• Have I used the feedback and performance standards to identify opportunities where I could improve and develop?

• Have I checked the Academic Skills resources in the Student Portal to find a workshop or downloadable resource to develop these skills?

• Did I seek feedback on my draft assignment, and did I use that feedback to improve the quality of the writing in the assessment that I submitted?

• Should I make an appointment with an Academic Skills Adviser to understand and address aspects of the feedback that will improve my skills for future assessments?

• What will I plan to do differently next time to improve the quality of my submitted assessment?