Tip for ADLN Instructors: Providing Feedback to Students

March 6, 2006

Giving feedback to students is important in any class, but instructors in distance learning courses often wonder how they can provide the same level of feedback to their distance students as they do to their campus-based students. Fortunately there are many technology tools that assist with providing feedback to distance students, and some of the tools make it possible for you to automate the feedback.

Information Feedback is informational or evaluative in nature. It is often given in response to a student question or as an assignment grade and comments. Some strategies for providing information feedback include:

Arrange virtual office hours where students can reach you live by phone, instant messaging, the chat tool in myWPI, or Interwise.
Use the PDF scanner to return assignments with your written comments.
Use the Assignment Manager in myWPI to indicate grades and comments on assignments.
Use Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat to insert electronic comments into assignments that you return to students.
Use the Test Manager in myWPI to develop tests and quizzes.
Use the Gradebook in myWPI.
Structure assignments so that students provide feedback to each other.

For more feedback strategies and details on each strategy, see the Teaching with Technology Collaboratory topic on Providing Feedback in Your Distance Learning Course.

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Last modified: Mar 01, 2006, 15:21 EST