Time: ~25 min, with two or three pieces of your own recent feedback
Pairs with: Why Good Feedback Still Doesn't Improve Student Work
What this is for
A printable, fillable version of the structure self-analysis exercise from Why Good Feedback Still Doesn't Improve Student Work. Use it to identify which of the five feedback structures you default to, and which structure your next assignment actually calls for. The structure you choose at the end is one of the three inputs you bring into the Template Builder.
Step 1 — Pull two or three recent samples (about 5 minutes)
Choose two or three pieces of feedback you have written in the last few weeks. Aim for variety — different assignment types, different students, different points in the term.
Sample 1: ________________________________________________________ Sample 2: ________________________________________________________ Sample 3: ________________________________________________________
Step 2 — Identify the structure you used (about 10 minutes)
For each sample, look at the shape of the feedback, not the content. Which of the five structures does it most resemble?
| Structure | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Feed-forward | Bulk of the feedback names what to do next |
| Criterion-focused | Organised by rubric criterion, addressed in turn |
| SBI | Each comment names where, what, and why it matters |
| Task–Process–Self-Regulation | Addresses correctness, then strategy, then self-monitoring |
| Sandwich | Strength → growth → encouragement |
Many samples will be hybrids. Note the dominant pattern, and any structure that is missing entirely from your default mode.
Sample 1 dominant structure: _____________________________________ Sample 2 dominant structure: _____________________________________ Sample 3 dominant structure: _____________________________________
Patterns missing from my default: ________________________________
Step 3 — Decide what your next assignment calls for (about 5 minutes)
Look at your next assignment. Use the decision logic to identify the structure that fits the moment.
| What the assignment needs | Use |
|---|---|
| Improving the current draft | Feed-forward |
| Explaining a grade against a rubric | Criterion-focused |
| Building long-term thinking | Task–Process–Self-Regulation |
| Sharpening clarity on a specific issue | SBI |
| Encouraging a struggling or younger student | Sandwich (used with care) |
Next assignment: _________________________________________________ Structure I'm choosing: __________________________________________
Step 4 — One reflective check (about 5 minutes)
For each of the recent samples you pulled, ask the question that matters most:
If a student reads this, will they know exactly what to do next?
Sample 1 answer: _________________________________________________ Sample 2 answer: _________________________________________________ Sample 3 answer: _________________________________________________
If the answer is no, the feedback needs fewer points, more specificity, clearer actions. That is often the difference between feedback students read and feedback students actually use.