Enhancing written feedback: The use of a cover sheet influences feedback quality

Feedback can be effective to student learning if the feedback practice meets several success criteria. It appears, however, that it is not easy to put insights from theory into practice. Using a cover sheet to provide structured feedback may provide a solution. Just how cover sheets influence feedback practice is, however, still largely unknown. The present study offers an in-depth evaluation of the effects of the implementation of cover sheets on feedback practice. The study described in this article gathered data from almost 1000 feedback instances, from tutor and student interviews and from a student questionnaire. The analysis shows that the use of the cover sheet led to an increased use of feed up, feed forward and feedback on process level. Tutors and students valued the use of the cover sheet as positive, and the cover sheet helped students resolve issues better than with annotations alone. The study described in this article adds to the field of research by providing empirical data for how a cover sheet influences educational practice. The study furthermore shows that a cover sheet can be used to enhance student feedback literacy and it offers background for an easy to introduce educational intervention.