16 Part L: Humanizing Feedback and Grades

Note that humanized grading and feedback is likely to vary in different disciplines.

In practice, this can look like:

• Take time to give context or relate your feedback specifically in a way that makes sense. Rather than just writing ‘awk’, take the time to explain what’s happening and how it might be improved.
• Establish in your feedback that you have engaged with the student’s work on a substantial and meaningful level. It can feel disheartening to receive a poor grade, but showing that you thought critically about their work will foster a sense of trust and respect.
• Ask TAs to post a “lessons learned” guide using feedback from previous cohorts so that students know what to avoid when preparing their assignment.
• When leaving specific comments in the margins of assignments, consider whether it is best phrased as question, statement, or imperative.^[1]
• Devote a session to building evaluation grids. Students in small groups can propose criteria and details (e.g. for a written assignment, simple criteria can be “content” and “language”, and details can be lexical choice, syntax, etc., after this, they suggest weight ponderation). The groups then present their version to the class and collaborate to propose one version to the instructor. The instructor then presents their rubric and with the students, negotiates, compromises, and combines them to be adopted as the rubric for a task or a basis for other variants (e.g. oral presentation).
• Discuss with students how to read and understand feedback. Encourage them to integrate feedback in their subsequent works to demonstrate their improvement. They know that making mistakes and learning to correct them is valued more than demonstrating your knowledge/skills.
• Ask students how they like their feedback. Seek feedback on your feedback.^[2]
• Frame grades, before returning them, as one snap shot of learning on one day using particular methods. They are not the sum of, or the measure of, a student’s potential. The grade does provides some idea of what is going on in the class. When you look at your feedback and your grade, is there something that maybe you need to spend a bit of time with? Come to office hours, visit your TA, ask your friends. Let the grade/feedback guide you, propel your learning forward – not define you or your ability.
• Focus your feedback on how the student can improve rather than belabouring errors. If you have noticed that a student has improved in an area you recommended they focus on in the next assignment, make sure you recognize their efforts and their growth.
• You may want to build a feedback phrase bank to ensure the feedback you provide to all students is equitable, fair, and consistent. This may feel impersonal but personal notes can be added in.
• In addition to providing personalized feedback, ensure that TAs are given appropriate paid time to accomplish this.
• If you have TAs, involve them in conversations about how to give fair and useful feedback.
• Consider doing a ‘feedback first’ approach. This means that students process the comments before they get the grade. It is a bit more time-consuming to do this, but well worth it. Students tend to focus on the comments with this method and have less of a reaction to the grade.