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Specific feedback accelerates learning

As part of the learning process, feedback needs to be specific, detailed, and constructive. Vague or derogatory comments (e.g., 鈥渢his is nonsense鈥�) do not explain or address the problem, whereas constructive comments (e.g., 鈥渄efine X before introducing Y鈥�) make specific suggestions that help to quickly improve writing by reducing trial and error. Encouraging students to revise immediately after getting feedback is also an effective strategy for facilitating student progress (Brookhart, 2012).
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Regularly review research plans and processes

Reviewing research plans and processes on a regular basis can be helpful for both the student and supervisor. Students may encounter unexpected problems such as errors in data analysis, unexpected results, data collection challenges, or technological issues. Establishing a regular meeting schedule allows supervisors to review research plans and address unexpected issues before they become larger problems.As part of the learning process, feedback needs to be specific, detailed, and constructive. Vague or derogatory comments (e.g., 鈥渢his is nonsense鈥�) do not explain or address the problem, whereas constructive comments (e.g., 鈥渄efine X before introducing Y鈥�) make specific suggestions that help to quickly improve writing by reducing trial and error. Encouraging students to revise immediately after getting feedback is also an effective strategy for facilitating student progress (Brookhart, 2012).
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Offer written or recorded oral feedback in an organized format

It is important to not rely solely on discussion for feedback on writing. Providing written comments that outline concrete, specific examples or actions for improvement is a useful strategy for supporting and documenting progress. Some supervisors also record audio of comments to retain some of the advantages of verbal communication (e.g., nuance, tone).

It can be especially helpful to both the supervisor and the student to organize and prioritize comments. Feedback can be broken down by level of abstraction:

1. High-level content-oriented comments
   High-level comments might include your overall impression of the work, offer suggestions for organization, identify gaps to address, or offer relevant references.
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2. Mid-level stylistic and presentation comments
   If your comment applies not just to a specific instance but to a broader pattern of argumentation or analysis, mid-level comments would explicitly address this pattern rather than simply correcting ta given occurrence.
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3. Low-level comments on syntax and grammar
   Low-level comments on surface issues are important (e.g., writing style, typos), but should be avoided until high-level or mid0level comments that necessitate major revisions to content are first completed.

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courtesy of 鈥淧iled Higher and Deeper鈥� by Jorge Cham,

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Questions for reflection

If you find yoruself repeating feedback, or you find a student is repeatedly asking a quesiton you've answered before consider:

• Does the student demonstrate that they understand the feedback? If you asked students to summarize what was discussed at their last regular meeting, could they fully convey the points you made? Are there ways to break down complex feedback into manageable components or provide specific examples of critical concepts?
• Does the student already know the answer but ask anyway? Is there a gap in either skills or confidence that needs to be addressed to encourage the student to work more autonomously?
• If you sense a student is resisting feedback, have you addressed this? Are these underlying issues that may also need to be addressed?
• Are you seeing any gradual change? Or are you observing a lack of progress?

In cases where students are demonstrating an inability to improve based on regular feedback, consider speaking to the Graduate Program Director and communicating this to the student during annual progress tracking.