School of Social and Political Science

Course and Assessment Feedback

The Importance of Assessment Feedback

Learning is a process of communication between students and teachers, and feedback is essential to that process. It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, focus on problem areas, and devise strategies to improve your performance. It helps you recognise variability and trends in your own performance, and where you stand in regard to your peers. Feedback is not an end in itself, but a tool for advancing the more important goal of learning. 

Assessment Feedback: What forms does it take? 

Feedback on assessment takes various forms. There is more to it than just comments or provisional marks on individual pieces of work. Not all feedback will be accompanied by a grade. 

1. Individual Written Feedback on Assessments 

The main form of feedback on individual performance in an assignment (coursework and examination) takes the form either of written comments in a digital feedback form or via ‘in-text’ comments on your assignment.  For on campus exams, feedback will be provided on paper based forms and you will be advised when you can collect your feedback.

This type of individual feedback aims to help you to understand your mark, to evaluate your strengths and identify areas for improvement. Feedback will point out what you have done well in the assignment, and areas you should focus on for improvement in future assignments. 

2. Generalised feedback on class-wide performance in assessments 

On some courses in SPS we also offer generalised feedback on performance to the class as a whole, via Learn. This feedback aims to help you understand your individual mark/feedback in the context of generalised feedback for your class.  

3. Peer-based Marking/Feedback. 

Sometimes students participate in group projects, discussion-based activities, or presentations, for which there is some kind of combination of assessment of individual participation and of the group performance as a whole. This may involve students assessing and commenting on each other's contribution to the project. 

4. Interim research project/dissertation feedback 

For dissertations and research projects, supervisors will provide feedback along the way and after submission of your assessment. There may also be opportunities for group feedback as part of the support for your work. You should take every opportunity to contribute and learn from these opportunities. 

Some course assignments also involve the submission of an un-graded draft, plan, or proposal ahead of the main assignment. In cases like this there is feedback both before and after the assessment. 

5. Verbal in-class feedback  

One of the reasons you are encouraged to participate actively in discussions in classes and tutorials, is that this is one of the most fruitful opportunities for feedback, for trying out ideas, exploring your understanding of material, and raising questions.  

Assessment Feedback: How to use your feedback effectively 

Feedback is most effective when it is used properly: when you get your coursework back, read the comments and then re-read your coursework. This will provide you with guidance for subsequent assessments.  

In the first instance, when trying to understand a mark and any associated comments, read these in the context of the specific assessment criteria which will be published on the course Learn site. 

If these comments are somehow unclear or if you would like to discuss your work further once it has been marked, you should consult your marker or course organiser. When you contact your course organiser, let them know which course and which piece of assessment you wish to discuss. Remember that work is marked anonymously and course organisers may not be familiar with your work. 

After reviewing your feedback you may also want to take advantage of the learning resources available on the Institute for Academic Development’s Study Hub: https://institute-academic-development.ed.ac.uk/study-hub  

Student Feedback on Teaching and Courses 

Feedback is a two-way process. If you have comments or suggestions for how we can improve our teaching or provision, we would be happy to hear them. 

These can be raised via: