Intro
Indicators
Canvas Tools
Examples
Try It!
Resources

Introduction

The purpose of this standard is to encourage you to reflect on the mechanisms, or tools and formats, you use to provide feedback for your students. Rubrics come in many forms and are a commonly used tool for sharing assessment scores with feedback. In addition to using rubrics or other tools, you might also leave feedback for students using a variety or combination of other methods, including: written comments, audio comments, video or screen share comments, or by using annotation tools. Consider asking your students which feedback format they prefer or varying the format depending on the type of assessment and feedback required. You might also consider using multiple methods for providing feedback. For example, a rubric in combination with an audio recording or short video or a peer feedback opportunity before final submission.

Effective learning feedback should be timely, personalized, motivational, specific, and actionable. However, the most effective feedback is feedback that students understand how to apply, so be sure to use encouraging and clear language that communicates concrete ideas for how the student can improve their work and to provide guidance for your students as to how to find and use your feedback. You might also consider building reflection into your assessment process where students submit revisions based on the feedback they received along with a short paragraph of what they learned and why they made the changes they made. The process of reflecting on one’s work and any mistakes made will help your students assess their progress and think about strategies for making improvements.

Why it Matters to Students ...

It’s been 3 weeks and D is still waiting for feedback on a recently submitted assignment draft. Having no idea when the instructor will return feedback makes D feel anxious. (3.4.b) D wonders if the rough draft submission will be returned soon enough to make revisions before the final submission is due. (3.4.b) Not that it matters much, on the last few assignments, D waited for several weeks, once receiving just “Good job!” and the next time receiving a few vague notes about multiple errors, but no real information about how to improve. (3.4.c) Without a rubric score or specific suggestions, D is finding it difficult to know how to improve. (3.4.a and 3.4.c)

Consider This ...

How will you provide timely, personalized, motivational, specific, and actionable feedback to students on their learning?
Have you provided enough detail and clearly defined the indicators of success?
How will students use their rubric results and your feedback to improve their performance?

Indicators Explained

The Indicators for Standard 3.4 are organized by Essentials and Next Steps. Click the menu bars below to expand and read about the Indicators in each section.

Essentials

Applying all Essential Indicators demonstrates that your course design includes the basic foundational elements that must be present for students to succeed in an online course.

3.4.a - Course includes a clear explanation describing course grading structure.

Students will appreciate your use of grading rubrics or other descriptive scoring criteria that clearly define the key elements of success for the assessments in your course. Rubric scores can provide students with valuable post-assessment feedback they can use to improve their performance on subsequent submissions. Grading with a rubric increases your objectivity making the assessment process more equitable and can also significantly increase your grading efficiency, leaving you time for adding more personalized student feedback. Rubrics and other scoring criteria can also help make the assessment process more transparent for students, giving them a clearer and more complete picture of success and goals to strive for. For clarity and ease of scoring, be sure to break down combined components into individual criteria with clear descriptors of performance and level of skills attainment. To avoid ambiguity, be sure to use phrasing that defines what terms like “well-written” or”clearly defined” mean in context of the assessment.

3.4.b - Course includes a clear explanation describing the instructor's plan for providing timely grading and personalized learning feedback.

In order to improve their work, students need to receive your feedback in a timely manner. Information about when students can expect to receive feedback on graded work is typically included in the syllabus but might also be highlighted in your “Start” module. As you develop your plan for providing timely feedback, consider the pacing of your course as you may not be able to realistically return meaningful feedback to students if your assessments are too close together. Also look for areas in your course where you can provide real-time formative feedback for students, perhaps by using answer feedback on quizzes or by using other interactive learning activities like simulations or games. Here are some questions to consider as you decide what your feedback plan will include:

Will you return graded work within a few days, within a week, or longer?
Will you grade items as they are submitted?
Will you wait until the due date to begin grading?
Will you only grade on certain days of the week?
Will you wait to release grades until all work has been graded?
Will you post an announcement or send a message if you are behind on grading?
When will you answer questions submitted with student work?
Will you send work back for resubmission before or after the due date?
Will you participate in discussions before or after the due date?
Will you also give general feedback to the class via announcements or student messaging?
How will you leave feedback - will it be written, audio, video, or maybe via an annotation tool or rubric?
Where will students find your feedback?
What should students do with the feedback they receive?
Have you built-in any activities that encourage students to reflect on their learning and the feedback they received?

Answering the majority of these questions upfront will prevent you from having to answer them multiple times later. In addition to answering these questions, also be sure to specify the type of feedback you will provide, where students can find it, and any specific tools you plan to use. Don’t be afraid to ask your students how the feedback cycle is working or to make adjustments to your plan if something isn’t quite right, especially if your feedback plan is not working for students. If you do decide you need to make a change, be sure to let your students know.

In addition to being timely, effective feedback will also be personalized and specific to each individual student's needs. Personalizing your feedback is an opportunity to highlight a student’s strengths, suggest improvements, and encourage the student’s next attempt. Consider beginning your feedback with the student’s name so they know the feedback is directed to them personally. To help students learn from their mistake(s) and apply your feedback to their work, be sure to include specific and actionable feedback tailored to the individual with detailed explanations and examples. Your feedback should also include suggestions for concrete strategies for improvement with specific steps the student can take to make corrections. You might also consider building reflection into your assessment process where students submit revisions based on the feedback they received along with a short paragraph of what they learned and why they made the changes they made.

3.4.c - Course grading structure offers flexibility in meeting assessment due dates and includes an opportunity for students to contribute to or co-create scheduling guidelines

Have you ever been stressed or really anxious and just needed someone to give you some grace, whether it was skipping a meeting or having a little extra time to complete a task? Like teachers, most students have very busy lives and finding a balance between work, family, community, and school is often difficult. Allowing some flexibility in how, when, and/or where students can participate or submit their work provides students the ability to more effectively plan ahead and confidently adjust to unexpected changes, problems, or scheduling conflicts as they arise. Building in flexibility could be as simple as building in a late policy that says students can turn in one late assignment during the term with no questions asked, allowing students to drop a quiz score, recording a Zoom session so that those that cannot attend synchronously can view the recording at a time that better suits their schedule, allowing for re-dos of assignments to make-up points, and/or by being approachable by including a statement in your syllabus explaining that “life happens” and if it happens during the term, students should contact you to work out an alternate arrangement.

Next Steps

Applying all Essential Indicators for this Standard combined with one or more of the following Next Steps Indicators demonstrates that your course design includes the basic foundational elements necessary for students to succeed in an online course plus additional elements that are intentionally designed to increase student success in your online course.

3.4.d - Course includes opportunities for students to self-assess their learning.

XXX

3.4.e - Course includes opportunities for students to receive personalized feedback from the instructor on draft submissions.

You can guide students toward success by offering personalized feedback on draft submissions and other formative tasks. This type of feedback is especially useful to students when it is mastery-based, non-evaluative, and gently directs them to where to go next. Mastery-based feedback is typically ungraded, focuses on the student’s strengths, identifies areas for improvement, and prioritizes the student’s effort. Receiving timely goal-oriented feedback on draft submissions during the learning process can motivate students to succeed by providing them with actionable strategies for skill-building, additional resources, and the time they need to revise and improve their work. Offering feedback is an opportunity to foster connections with students, open meaningful dialogue about their progress, and reframe mistakes as opportunities for learning. In addition to reducing student anxiety concerning final assignment submission, the formative feedback process can also help inform your teaching practice, highlighting areas where you may need to revise content, review, or offer additional resources. Reviewing draft submissions also allows you to observe and track changes in student learning over time while providing students with opportunities to monitor their progress and take more responsibility for their learning. To close the formative feedback loop, invite students to self-assess and reflect on their work, asking questions like … why do you think, and what assumptions did you make.

3.4.f - Course includes opportunities for students to receive personalized feedback from peers on draft submissions.

The opportunity to give and receive feedback from classmates can add a powerful layer of learning to your course. Offering and receiving constructive feedback allows students to experience the assessment from another’s perspective giving them valuable insight and new ideas they can use to improve their own work. The exchange of ideas between students encourages them to engage more deeply with course content, helps them internalize the criteria for success, and guides them toward the practices of self-reflection and self-assessment. Peer response activities can also foster connections between students helping to grow students’ learning networks.

As with any assessment activity, it is very important to clearly explain the purpose and value of the peer response format. Sharing examples of feedback of varying levels of quality and modeling the feedback process you’d like students to follow, will help students better understand your expectations. To get the most out of peer feedback activities, involve students in the development of the evaluation criteria and be sure to provide guidance in how to effectively offer mastery-based feedback to another learner. Your additional guidance in the form of giving feedback on students’ feedback to others or engaging in group feedback discussions may also be needed.

3.4.g - Course grading structure uses an alternative grading strategy.

X

3.4.h - Course includes an invitation for students to offer feedback on the course grading structure.

X

Canvas Tools

These Canvas tools can help you meet this standard and make your work easier:

Due Dates: Use the settings on Discussions, Assignments, or Quizzes to ensure students have accurate information. For example, to set due dates on an assignment.
Discussions or Peer Review Assignment: Use a discussion or peer review assignment to house peer response activities. For example, as a place for students to share their drafts, exchange ideas, and offer feedback on one another’s work.
Media Comments: Use the built-in media comments options to vary or combine the type of feedback you leave. For example, to record audio or video feedback for students.
Quiz Feedback: Use the answer feedback option on Quizzes to give students real-time feedback. For example, to provide an explanation of why the student's chosen answer is correct or incorrect and/or to refer the student back to the appropriate place in the course to review specific content or to provide additional resources.
Rubrics: Use Rubrics to leave feedback for students. For example, by using the “I’ll write free-form comments when assessing students” feature to write individualized feedback for each student, using the rubric comment option to add individualized feedback to any rubric criterion, or using a non-scoring rubric to provide formative feedback.
SpeedGrader + DocViewer: Use the DocVeiwer tool in the SpeedGrader to leave feedback for students. For example, to annotate student submissions with comments.
Announcements: Use Announcements to send students reminders. For example, to send announcements about important upcoming dates. from
Gradebook: Use the Assignment Status options to change the status of a student submission. For example, to excuse an assignment. from

Examples of Standard 3.4

Want to see how other instructors have applied this Standard in their course? Check out these examples!

Example 1

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Example 2

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Example 3

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Example 4

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Example 5

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Ways to Apply Standard 3.4

Need some ideas for how to apply this standard to your course? Try one of these!

3.4.a - Explaining grading structure

X

3.4.b - Sharing plan for timely grades and learning feedback

(3.4.b) Add an explanation of how and when you plan to grade student work and return feedback to your syllabus or elsewhere in your course.
(3.4.b) Ask students to contribute to or co-create the grading and feedback plan for the course.
(3.4.b) Exchange feedback plans with one or more colleagues. Read through the plan(s) from a student’s perspective to identify what might be missing, how students might feel after reading it, and what might be unclear. Adjust your plan accordingly.
(3.4.b) Select an assessment from a previous term. Review the feedback you gave to students - did you use their name, was your feedback personalized to the student, and did it include specific information about how students can improve? Identify any areas where you might be able to improve and make adjustments accordingly.
(3.4.b) Review the student feedback from the previous terms. Identify any areas where you might be able to improve and make adjustments for your next class accordingly.

3.4.c - Offering flexibility in meeting dues dates

(3.4.c) Add an opportunity for students to review and contribute to developing course late work practices.
(3.4.c) Add an opportunity for students to review and contribute to determining course dues dates.
(3.4.c) Ask students to set their own due dates through the use of individualized pacing guide/plan.
(3.4.c) Add a late policy allowing students to submit one late assignment during the term with no questions asked.
(3.4.c) Add an option allowing students to drop a quiz score during the term.
(3.4.c) Add open and close dates to quizzes or assignments allowing students to take a quiz or submit an assignment within a multiple day time-frame.
(3.4.c) Record your live Zoom sessions so that students can view the recording at a later time if needed.
(3.4.c) Write a resubmission policy that allows students to re-do or revise higher-stakes assignments based on your feedback to make-up points and improve their score.
(3.4.c) Include a statement in your syllabus explaining that “life happens” and if it happens during the term, students should contact you to work out an alternate arrangement on a case by case basis.

3.4.d - Including opportunities for self-assessment

(3.4.d) Build an opportunity into your course for students to practice applying the assessment rubric to their own work prior to submission.

3.4.e - Including opportunities for instructor feedback on draft submissions

(3.4.e) Revise one or more existing learning activities to include an opportunity to receive instructor feedback on a draft submission.
(3.4.e) Add one or more new opportunities to receive instructor feedback on a draft submission(s) in your course.

3.4.f - Including opportunities for peer feedback on draft submissions

(3.4.f) Revise one or more existing learning activities to include an opportunity for students to receive peer feedback.
(3.4.f) Add one or more new opportunities to your course for students to receive feedback from peers.
(3.4.f) Build an opportunity into your course for students to practice applying the assessment rubric to their classmates’ work prior to submission.

3.4.g - Using an alternative grading strategies

ungrading
contract grading
labor-based grading
self-assessment?
pass/fail
mastery-based
competency-based

3.4.h - Inviting students to offer feedback on course grading and feedback practices

(3.4.h) Survey students about your feedback plan to identify what might be missing, how students felt after reading it, and what might be unclear. Discuss feedback with students and use it to improve the course or future courses.
(3.4.h Survey students about the quality and helpfulness of your feedback to identify what might be missing, how students felt after reading it, and what might be unclear. Discuss feedback with students and use it to improve the course or future courses.
(3.4.h) Survey students about course grading practices. Discuss feedback with students and use it to improve the course or future courses.

Resources

Recommended Reading

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References

3.4.a - Description of grading practices

X

3.4.b - Plan for providing timely grading and feedback

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2010, September). Inside the Black Box Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2). ResearchGate. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/003172171009200119
CAST. (2018). Checkpoint 9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection. UDL Guidelines. Retrieved June 28, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/engagement/self-regulation/self-assessment-reflection
Cooper, K.M., Haney, B., Krieg, A., & Brownell, S.E. (2017). What’s in a name? The importance of students perceiving that an instructor knows their names in a high-enrollment biology classroom. CBE Life Sciences Education, 16(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5332051/
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007, March). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. http://www.columbia.edu/~mvp19/ETF/Feedback.pdf
Lake Washington Institute of Technology. (n.d.). Interact with Students by Name. 4 Connections. Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://lwtech.instructure.com/courses/1389032/modules
Sheridan, K., & Kelly, M.A. (2010). The indicators of instructor presence that are important to students in online courses. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(4). Available at http://jolt.merlot.org/vol6no4/sheridan_1210.htm
TILT Higher Ed. (2014). Transparency in Learning & Teaching. TILT Higher Ed. Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://tilthighered.com/
Wiggins, G. (n.d.). 7 Key Characteristics of Better Learning Feedback. TeachThought. http://www.teachthought.com/learning/7-key-characteristics-of-better-learning-feedback/
Williams, L. (2020, October 1). U.S. Department of Education Issues Final Rules on Distance Education and Innovation. NC-SARA. https://nc-sara.org/news-events/us-department-education-issues-final-rules-distance-education-and-innovation
Winkelmes, M. A. (2015). The Unwritten Rules of College: Transparency and Its Impact on Learning. TILT Higher Ed. Retrieved March 11, 2021, from https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-unwritten-rules-of-college/?cid=gen_sign_in

3.4.c - Flexibility in scheduling and due dates

CAST. (2018). Checkpoint 7.1 Optimize individual choice and autonomy. UDL Guidelines. Retrieved April 7, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/engagement/recruiting-interest/choice-autonomy

3.4.d - Instructor feedback on draft submissions

CAST. (2018). Checkpoint 5.3 Build fluencies with graduated levels of support for practice and performance. UDL Guidelines. Retrieved June 28, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/action-expression/expression-communication/fluencies-practice-performance
CAST. (2018). Checkpoint 6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress. UDL Guidelines. Retrieved June 28, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/action-expression/executive-functions/monitoring-progress/monitoring-progress
CAST. (2018). Checkpoint 8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback. UDL Guidelines. Retrieved June 28, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/engagement/effort-persistence/mastery-oriented-feedback
Frommert, C. (2021, June 30). 5 Ways to Help Students Focus on Learning Rather Than Grades. Edutopia. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-help-students-focus-learning-rather-grades
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007, March). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. http://www.columbia.edu/~mvp19/ETF/Feedback.pdf
Hicks, T. (2014, October 14). Make It Count: Providing Feedback as Formative Assessment. Edutopia. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/providing-feedback-as-formative-assessment-troy-hicks
University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (n.d.). Not Just Feedback...Mastery-Oriented Feedback (Mastery Series #1). Office of Information Technology Learning Blog. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from https://oit.utk.edu/learning/mastery-series-1/

3.4.e - Peer feedback on draft submissions

CAST. (2018). Checkpoint 6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress. UDL Guidelines. Retrieved June 28, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/action-expression/executive-functions/monitoring-progress/monitoring-progress
CAST. (2018). Checkpoint 8.3 Foster collaboration and community. UDL Guidelines. Retrieved June 28, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/engagement/effort-persistence/collaboration-community
CAST. (2018). Checkpoint 8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback. UDL Guidelines. Retrieved June 28, 2021, from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/engagement/effort-persistence/mastery-oriented-feedback
Cornell University. (2021). Peer Assessment. Center for Teaching Innovation. Retrieved July 2, 2021, from https://teaching.cornell.edu/spring-teaching-resources/assessment-evaluation/peer-assessment
South Puget Sound Community College. (n.d.). Collaboration & Peer Feedback. SPSCC Rubric Review Primer. Retrieved February 7, 2020, from https://sbctc.instructure.com/courses/1664130/pages/collaboration-and-peer-feedback?module_item_id=28874749
University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (n.d.). Not Just Feedback...Mastery-Oriented Feedback (Mastery Series #1). Office of Information Technology Learning Blog. Retrieved June 30, 2021, from https://oit.utk.edu/learning/mastery-series-1/

3.4.f - Using an alternative grading strategy

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oSUlp-nOAnlJVk4IICZXbj1nyEzS__Xp0tNDbpPtPFQ/edit
Kohn, A. (2011, November). The Case Against Grades. Alfie Kohn. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/case-grades/
Schinske, J., & Tanner, K. (2014, Summer). Teaching More by Grading Less (or Differently). CBE Life Science Education, 13(2), 159–166. 10.1187/cbe.CBE-14-03-0054 Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4041495/
Stommel, J. (2022, January 3). Compassionate Grading Policies. Jesse Stommel. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://www.jessestommel.com/compassionate-grading-policies/
Talbert, R. (2021, July 19) Entering the Feedback Loop. Grading for Growth. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://gradingforgrowth.com/p/entering-the-feedback-loop-roberts

3.4.g - Inviting students to offer feedback on course grading practices

X

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