Hi there, my name is Amy and I am a skills co-creator. Since starting this role two months ago I have been working on a variety of projects, including creating and reviewing resources. I am particularly interested in academic skills and an important academic skill is utilising feedback effectively. I know this first hand; as I reach the end of my second year, I feel I have done my fair share of assignments and sometimes keeping track of all my feedback has been difficult at times.
A new feature on Moodle allows us as students to see feedback from every assignment across the academic year for us to better identify patterns and ultimately make progress. Reflecting on your feedback will not only help improve your academic work but also builds adaptability as a key employability capability Being adaptable enables us to learn from experience and apply that learning in new situations
What and where is the feedback centre?
When you log into Moodle, by default you will be on the home page. By selecting ‘Dashboard’ on the top menu, the feedback centre is displayed to you as an option. When you open it, a large table shows all the assignments you’ve submitted, along with the grade. There will also be an option to open the feedback within the table, as well as adding your own reflection. With everything in the same place, I have found it makes identifying patterns in feedback easier!
How to feedforward
Feedback evaluates something that happens in the past. Sometimes I struggle to see the value in reflecting on something that can no longer be changed. However, feedback is one of the most powerful tools in moving forward!
Before submitting my next assignment, I’ll take time to look at the comments I received the last time I submitted something in that style. Using feedback is a great opportunity to fill gaps in skillsets and identify areas for change. This helps me develop adaptability, one of the key employability capabilities. By recognising patterns in my feedback and adjusting my approach, I can actively build my ability to respond to challenges and improve over time. For example, I can see from the feedback centre that when I gave presentations, structure is an area for improvement. Therefore, I know that the next time I deliver a presentation, the structure of it is something I need to give specific attention to.
The power of reflection
Feedback is valuable! To get the most out of it, reflect on what it means to you. Helpfully, there is a tool for reflection built into the feedback centre. By accessing this, you can use a text box to record your thoughts. Writing your thoughts is a great way to think about actionable next steps. It’s a really good idea to reflect on all feedback, whether you’ve received mainly good comments but especially if comments you were given are constructive ways to improve performance. I like to reflect on feedback by identifying one key thing that I want to carry forward into my next assignment and two constructive steps that I want to take next time for improvement.
At the end of the day, feedback is only useful if it’s acted on. The feedback tool that keeps everything in one place turns scattered comments into a clear plan for action. Take the opportunity to grow and reflect on feedback by logging onto Moodle and exploring your feedback centre before submitting your next assignment.
Respond
