Understanding Assignment Feedback

Narrator: Three students are discussing how they are interpreting and using assignment feedback at university. Speaker 1: Honestly, I find assignment feedback so hit-or-miss. Sometimes it's really helpful, but a lot of the time it's just really vague or too general. I'll get comments like 'expand on this point' and I'm thinking, 'Okay, but how? What exactly should I add?' It's annoying when you're trying to get better but just don't know what to do. Speaker 2: Yeah, I totally get that. I think professors are often swamped and just don't have enough time to give really detailed feedback for every single student. It feels like they're just kind of ticking boxes sometimes. I've had feedback that just points out what I got wrong, but not why, or how to fix it next time. Speaker 3: I think it also depends on the format. I really prefer verbal feedback or an actual meeting to discuss my work, even if it's just for five minutes. Written comments can be so easily misunderstood because you can't ask questions about them. It's hard to understand what they really mean by a comment on a paper. Speaker 1: That's a good point, Lily. And what about the timing? Sometimes we get feedback weeks after we've submitted an assignment, and by then we're already halfway through the next one. It makes it really hard to use that feedback when you've already moved on from the topic. It feels like we've just missed a chance to learn. Speaker 3: Exactly! If I get feedback on an essay I wrote a month ago, it's pretty much useless for the next essay which might have a totally different focus. It's like, thanks for grading it, but I've already moved on. There's no real chance to use that advice in what I'm doing right now. Speaker 2: I see both sides, honestly. While quick, detailed feedback would be great, sometimes professors are dealing with so many classes and students. Plus, I think we as students also have a responsibility to actually ask for clarification. We can't just expect perfect feedback; sometimes we need to schedule a quick chat during office hours if something isn't clear. That's what they're there for. Speaker 1: I agree that we should take initiative, but it's still tough. Some feedback doesn't even give you anything to ask about. It's just a mark or a super short comment that doesn't explain why. It's like they're telling you 'you failed here' but not 'this is why, and this is how you can do better next time'. Speaker 3: Yeah, that's where rubrics could really help, or even self-assessment forms that come with the feedback. If students know exactly what they're being graded on, and then see if their work matches up or not, it'd be much clearer. It would help connect what we think we're doing with what the professor actually wants. Speaker 2: That's a great idea, Lily. And maybe mandatory feedback review sessions for assignments that are worth a lot of marks? Not a full class, but small groups or individual check-ins. It'd make us really look at the feedback and also give professors a chance to explain things face-to-face. It could really improve our learning.