Nichol's ten principles of good feedback practice

Do any of your criteria appear among Nicol’s ten principles and do you think Nicol’s principles cover the important ideas mentioned in your groups

Nicol's principles:(those in italics replicate to some degree the main feedback principles that were identified in in an earlier blog or on the OU forum)


1. Help clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards).
To what extent do students in your course have opportunities to engage activelywith goals, criteria and standards, before, during and after an assessment task?

2. Encourage ‘time and effort’ on challenging learning tasks.
To what extent do your assessment tasks encourage regular study in and out of class and deep rather than surface learning?

3. Deliver high quality feedback information that helps learners self-correct.
What kind of teacher feedback do you provide – in what ways does it help students self-assess and self-correct?

4. Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem.
To what extent do your assessments and feedback processes activate your students’ motivation to learn and be successful?

5. Encourage interaction and dialogue around learning (peer and teacher-student.
What opportunities are there for feedback dialogue (peer and/or tutor-student)around assessment tasks in your course?

6. Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning.
To what extent are there formal opportunities for reflection, self-assessment or peer assessment in your course?

7. Give learners choice in assessment – content and processes.
To what extent do students have choice in the topics, methods, criteria,weighting and/or timing of learning and assessment tasks in your course?

8. Involve students in decision-making about assessment policy and practice.
To what extent are your students in your course kept informed or engaged in consultations regarding assessment decisions?

9. Support the development of learning communities.
To what extent do your assessments and feedback processes help support the development of learning communities?

10. Help teachers adapt teaching to student needs.
To what extent do your assessment and feedback processes help inform and shape your teaching?

Nicol, D. (2007) ‘Principles of good assessment and feedback: theory and practice’ [online], paper presented at the REAP International Online Conference on Assessment Design for Learner Responsibility, 29–31 May 2007, http://www.reap.ac.uk/reap/public/papers//Principles_of_good_assessment_and_feedback.pdf (accessed 7 February 2012

Nicol, D. (2006) ‘Assessment for learner self-regulation: enhancing the first year experience using learning technologies’ [online], paper presented at the 10th International Computer Assisted Assessment Conference, 4–5 July 2006, pp. 329–40, https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/dspace-jspui/handle/2134/4413