The following tip from the 2012-2013 Teaching Issues Writing Consortium: Teaching Tips was contributed by Linda B. Nilson, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation at Clemson University.
Have you ever wondered whether your students actually read your comments, feedback, and corrections on their work? Here is a way to ensure they take your feedback seriously. After you return a first draft of a paper, a final draft, or project, have students do a follow-up writing assignment of paraphrasing your comments. This follow-up assignment has several good consequences. First, students read all of your feedback carefully and do their best to understand it. Second, you find out how they are interpreting your comments—in particular, whether they are understanding them as you intended. If they are not, you can correct any misunderstandings. Third, because they are really reading and trying to make sense out of your feedback, they are more likely to use it to produce better work in the future.
Submitted by
Linda B. Nilson, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation
Clemson University
