Summarize this article:

The purpose of feedback is to help students learn, so give useful comments that direct them toward improving their work rather than chastising mistakes. Treat it as instruction and not just a critique. You may provide written feedback on different types of student assignments, including written assignments, presentations, and projects. They are both important, and students need to know how to improve in both areas. This is especially important if a student is stronger in one area than another. For example, a student may have excellent ideas with good development, while also having poor spelling, incorrect punctuation, and excessive fragments and run-ons.  If you are giving the feedback on an oral presentation or project, be sure to provide feedback on each part of the assignment. For example, an oral presentation would include feedback on both content and public speaking skills, while a project may receive feedback on content, creativity, and execution. Writing comments like “good job,” “very improved,” or “this needs work” doesn't tell the student what they need to do to improve or what they’re doing right. In order for the feedback to be effective, the student needs to know what you saw that either worked or didn’t.  Write something like, “Your thesis is clear, well-written, and uses the format we practiced. On the other hand, your topic sentences could use some work because they don’t connect back to your thesis.” Suggest, “Your ideas are well-developed, but I’d recommend you come to tutoring so that we can work on your comma splices and sentence fragments.” Include a mix of positive comments and constructive criticism. You may mark some errors, but avoid copyediting the paper. State the issue that you’ve seen in the paper, such as overuse of commas, and then suggest the skill the student can work on. For example, “You have overused commas throughout your essay. I suggest reviewing the rules about commas and how to avoid comma splices. If you come in for tutoring, we can work through a paragraph together. This will give the student something to focus on moving forward. You can base the priorities on the learning objectives or student needs, depending on that student’s work. Say, “Right now, I want you to focus on using active voice and avoiding choppy sentences.” Focus your attention on either the current learning objectives or the needs of the student you are assessing. Make sure that your students know that you are only evaluating limited parts of their writing so that they don’t assume other sections are perfect.  You may want to highlight or mark the section where you are providing feedback. Before giving the students their assignments back, let them know that you only provided feedback on part of the assignment. You could also allow students to choose which skill or section they want feedback on. If there are many errors, don’t try to fix them all in one feedback opportunity. Providing too much at one time can feel overwhelming to the student, causing them to become discouraged. Instead, start with the foundational corrections or the easiest tweaks.  For example, you could begin by focusing on avoiding sentence fragments and looking up words you don’t know how to spell. You could also focus on just the learning objective that the assignment is addressing. End on a positive note, encouraging them to keep working. You may want to reference other improvements you have seen in their work, empowering them to aim higher. Write something like, “After seeing how well your writing has developed this year, I know you will do a terrific job with these suggestions. I look forward to reading your next essay!”
Keep the focus on student learning. Provide feedback on both content and mechanics. Be specific about both positive and negative feedback. Suggest ways to make improvements rather than correcting mistakes. Set priorities for the next draft or assignment. Limit your feedback to one section or skill if time is an issue. Avoid overwhelming the student. Motivate your student to keep working.