What is Constructive Feedback? 

As a lecturer, your feedback is crucial for student success. You r constructive feedback can help students clearly answer the three key questions along their learning journey “How am I going?”, “Where am I going?”, and “Where to next?” 

Key Principles for Delivering Constructive Feedback

 Regardless of the scenario, keep the core principles in mind when you’re giving feedback: 

• Foster Dialogue: Approach feedback as the start of a conversation, not the end.  
• Review Holistically: Students tend to absorb only a few key suggestions, so observe the full performance then identify your most important points beforehand. 
• Use Plain Language: Describe your observation in clear, everyday language and avoid using academic jargon or technical grammatical terms. 
• Focus on Growth and Strength: Highlight positive aspects where the student can build upon their successes, in addition to pointing out areas for improvement. 
• Share Your Observer Experience: Explain how their work impacted you as the assessor. This makes your feedback less like a judgement and more like an observation. 
• Use Rubrics and Checklists: Consistent grading promotes transparency and self-regulation. 

What constructive feedback looks like 

Constructive feedback should be adapted to the learning context. Below are practical ways you can apply the core principles across various teaching scenarios: 

Face-to-face feedback 

Direct, personal feedback is often the most impactful. These moments provide opportunities for immediate reinforcement or correction. They best address the “How am I going?” and the “Where am I going?” from students. 

At the End of a Session 

A brief, targeted conversation can immediately address misunderstandings or affirm learning moments. 

Try this: 

“Before you go, I just wanted to say I noticed your insightful question about [topic] today – that really shows you’re getting the complex ideas. Keep that up!” 

During Consultations 

Use open-ended, reflective questions to guide students toward self-correction and deeper understanding. 

Try this: 

“Tell me about how you approached this problem. Where did you get stuck, and what were you thinking at that point?” 

Provide Immediate Clarity 

Face-to-face allows for instant clarification. A quick, affirming comment can reinforce correct performance. 

Try this: 

(After a practical task) “That’s it exactly! You’ve nailed the sequence of actions. Well done.” 

Written Feedback 

Written comments should be clear, focused, and actionable to support student development. They best address the “Where am I going?” and the “Where to next?”  from students. 

Prioritise Key Points 

Focus on the 2-3 most important areas for improvement to avoid overwhelming them. 

Try this: 

“For your next draft, focus on strengthening your argument in Section 2 and ensuring consistent referencing throughout.” 

Be Specific 

Replace vague comments with concrete explanations of the issue and what’s needed. 

Instead of: 

 “Needs more detail” 

Try this:  

“In your analysis of the [specific topic], expand on why this particular framework is most relevant to the situation outlined in paragraph two.” 

Offer Clear Suggestions 

Provide practical advice on how to improve the work. 

Instead of:  

“This paragraph is unclear.” 

Try this:  

“Start with your main argument then provide supporting evidence to make your paragraph clearer.” 

Consider Follow-up 

If appropriate, ask students to reflect on and act upon your feedback. 

Try this:  

“In your revised submission, please include a brief summary (1-2 sentences) outlining the key feedback points you addressed from my comments.” 

Online Feedback (Canvas) 

Canvas offers a range of features that support engaging, timely, and personalised feedback. Depending on the applications you use, online feedback can address all three key questions from students: “How am I going?”, “Where am I going?”, and “Where to next?” Below are some selected applications: 

Automated Quiz Feedback 

Set up quizzes (New Quizzes) to give instant responses with explanations for both correct and incorrect answers. Find out how HERE. 

Benefits: 

• Reinforces learning immediately 
• Explains reasoning, not just outcomes 
• Reduces marking time once configured 

Media Comment  

Use the Add Media Comment feature in SpeedGrader to either record new media or upload an existing file. Find out how HERE. 

Benefits: 

• More personal than text-only feedback 
• Helps convey tone and emphasis clearly 

Add Annotation 

Use the Annotation Tool in SpeedGrader to comment directly on specific parts of student submission – ideal for essay or reports (uploaded file). Find out how HERE. 

Benefits: 

• Offers targeted, contextual feedback 
• Reduces ambiguity by placing comments exactly where they apply 

Discussions 

Address common issues at scale in a discussion forum or ask follow-up questions to guide students’ understanding. 

Example:  

“Several of you raised interesting points about [topic]. To take this further, consider how [new concept] might influence your perspective.” 

Benefits: 

• Reduces repetition and ensures consistent messaging 
• Encourage peer learning and idea exchange 

Now that you understand the principles and applications of constructive feedback, learn how you can implement these strategies in Canvas: 

• Marking, Deadlines & Feedback 
• New Quizzes Custom Results Feedback 
• Marking Using SpeedGrader