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ACHIEVING GOOD OUTPUTS 103
feedback on essays. If this is the case, go through and decide which mistakes
apply to you, or swap essays and do it with someone else.
Remember, though, that markers will vary in terms of the emphasis they place
in their feedback – though hopefully not in the way they produce the final mark.
Some may seem obsessed with your referencing, some with your grammar, some
with the overall structure of your argument, and some with the information you
have not included, despite the fact that you have already gone over your word
limit. Evaluate all this thoroughly. It is there for your benefit and if you do not use
it everyone’s time has been wasted. You will find that, as in life, the amount and
quality of the feedback you receive will vary. Notice who has done the marking
and make a judgement about how seriously to take their feedback. If it is very
thin, try going to the marker to ask for more. It may not be helpful, but it cannot
do any harm.
Tips: Feedback
➢ When your coursework is returned to you and you have calmed down from
the delight/distress of finding out what mark you have been given, sit down
quietly and go through the feedback to see how you can do (even) better
next time.
➢ Try swapping an old essay with someone else and marking each other’s,
giving comments, but do not do this until the essay has been marked and
returned! Identifying how someone else could improve their work is one of
the best ways of understanding how to make your own better. It will also
help you to see if you really do understand the subject.
An example of a good first-year student essay with feedback comments
Figure 4.1 is an actual first-year essay, showing the comments from the lecturer
when it was returned.