Offering Feedback on Writing
The strongest writing, like the deepest thinking, does not happen in isolation; it benefits from feedback. In a genuine effort to prompt student learning, however, instructors often provide an overabundance of written edits and feedback without prioritizing it, which can cause confusion for students and overwork for the instructor. Here are some considerations for approaching feedback on student writing:
- Remind yourself of your priorities for the assignment, and focus your feedback accordingly. Help students prioritize by addressing the most important aspects of their writing, based on the expectations you developed for the assignment. Try to address only or primarily those aspects. Focusing students’ attention on the most important parts helps them take in your feedback without feeling overwhelmed.
- Decide what type of feedback would be most useful at each stage. For instance, if you provide feedback early in the writing process, focusing exclusively on the big picture and asking questions will prompt further development of ideas. Focusing on details at earlier stages directs students away from broader issues and frustrates writers looking for direction and guidance (this goes for graduate students as well as undergraduates). Meanwhile, feedback on a final product can help students understand the paper’s strengths and weaknesses as well as what they can apply or change for future writing.
- Consider different modes of offering feedback. Brief conferences or verbal feedback, especially in the early stages of writing, often makes it easier to provide guidance and direction on broader idea development and can provide further insight into students’ process.
- Encourage students to seek feedback from other sources. Students often see the professor as the only resource in their writing because the professor usually issues the grade. This results in the student trying to “figure out what the professor wants” instead of developing their own perspective and motivations. Fostering writing as a collaborative process involving more than one reader is one way to take the pressure off the instructor-student relationship and help students consider modes of engaging a larger audience. Consider recommending the writing center as a resource for any stage in the process, hold peer reviews in class, and/or invite self-reflection so that students can take in different responses to their writing instead of only relying on the instructor. If TAs assist you in providing feedback, make sure to engage them in regular conversation about your priorities.
References & Resources
Aikens, Kristina. (n.d.). Giving Feedback on Student Writing. Teaching@Tufts. https://sites.tufts.edu/teaching/2024/02/06/giving-feedback-on-student-writing/