Grading writing and responding to it are two different things. Grading assigns a value to student work while responding communicates why. What you comment on, underline, or edit sends a message to students about what you, and those in your discipline, value in writing. Content, organization, and style are all important for a piece of writing to meet academic expectations, so what message do you want to send?

Too much feedback can be overwhelming, especially to novice writers who may not be able discern which comments are most important. Little or no feedback is confusing, too. So decide what you want your students to get from the assignment then consider how your comments communicate that message to learners who are emerging writers and content area specialists.

Take a moment to evaluate your current process for responding to student writing. 

  • Why do you do it the way that you do?
  • What is working for you? Your students?
  • What isn't working for you? Your students?

Tips for Comments in the Margins

  • Use the comment feature so that you can write in complete sentences and engage primarily with the ideas presented in the paper. There are times when you will want to edit the document directly, but do so sparingly--unless the writing conventions you are editing are in your learning outcomes and you have taken time to teach them.

  • If proofreading errors are interfering with your ability to read the work, you might decide to edit one paragraph as an example of how you expect students to revise their work in the future. Let them know it’s their responsibility to work through the edits and apply them throughout. 

  • An occasional highlight with a word like “evidence?” can be helpful as long as it’s clear what you are referring to. A lone question mark is more confusing than helpful.  

  • Use a respectful tone. You are having a professional conversation with your student about their work.

Tips for Final Comments

  • Read the paper as a whole and refrain from making comments directly on the paper.  Take notes about the things you notice and organize them into two or three coherent topics to address in complete sentences at the end. 

  • The first sentence should reflect back the writer’s main point and focus on the student’s ability to meet the assignment criteria. 

  • Then focus on the major issues that you think should be addressed. Note any recurring errors or patterns of errors and weaknesses in the paper. 

  • Finally, make note of the paper’s strengths. Not commenting on something doesn’t always communicate that it’s done well, so state it directly. If students know what they are doing right they will likely continue to do it.

Lastly, if you are responding by hand, make sure your handwriting is legible!