Using feedback from your tutor Strategic study techniques
Working on an assignment is an active learning process and it's important to maximise the value of it. Don't miss the opportunity to learn from the feedback given on your assignments. The feedback on your work can reveal whether your current study strategies are effective. Consider engaging with feedback as a central part of your learning experience.
Feedback serves various purposes. It can:
- promote dialogue between you and your tutor
- enable you to monitor your progress
- help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses
- point to further resources including available support.
In the following audio, learning consultants Gill and Maggie explain how your tutor's feedback is one of the most important aspects of learning with The Open University.
Using feedback from your tutor
Click here to listen 72Maggie (Learning Consultant)
The key part of active learning is asking for, using and implementing feedback because one of the great strengths of the Open University is that you have your personal tutor for that particular year, and one of the things all of them do is give feedback to individual students. And it's up to you to find ways of using it, or to have a dialogue about it.
[Indistinct chatter]
I mean tutors encourage their students to come back and ask for clarification or to talk to each other and I couldn't stress enough the importance of when you do get some feedback, particularly if it's personalised feedback, that you set aside time to use it: To actually look at what's been said to you, to think how you might incorporate that, what changes you might make, or if you need to go back and ask some more questions.
Gill (Learning Consultant)
Some people get very hurt by their tutor feedback and can feel a little bit discouraged and, if that had happened, the tutor would probably be upset to think that that was the impact and so anybody should feel they can ring or email their tutor saying, “Oh, what did you mean by what you said?” Rather than sit feeling discouraged.
When your assignment is returned, the first thing you'll check is your grade. This may trigger feelings depending on your expectations. Give yourself a few days before reading feedback. This will help you focus on feedback more objectively. Then, take time to absorb and reflect on it. Try to separate those that are about what you've included in your assignment from those about how you've presented it.
As you work through feedback, reflect on the following questions:
- Are the comments expected?
- Do you agree with the comments? If not, in what ways do you disagree?
- What steps can you take to address the issues raised in the comments?
- What specific skills do you think you need to improve?
Ask your tutor or study adviser for more advice if you have any queries about anything in the feedback or want to know more about improving your study skills.
Take note of one or two main points which you need to bear in mind when you write the next assignment or when you revise for your exam. These may include pieces of advice, mistakes you see you made or things to remember.
You might also get useful feedback from other students. For example, an online discussion forum for a module activity might help you assess your understanding of a topic. Talking to your tutor or other students can give a boost to your morale and help when you feel stuck. Knowing how to stay motivated is an important skill that is worth developing as early as possible in your study.
