2.2.3 How well were grades and feedback returned in time to support your learning?

Why this teaching practice matters:

• Research on effective teaching consistently emphasizes the importance of timely feedback as part of formative learning processes. [1, 11, 16]
• Feedback is most effective when students receive it soon enough to understand their progress and apply it to future work. When grades and feedback are delayed, opportunities for learning, adjustment, and improvement can be diminished.

Student examples of this principle in action:

• Students consistently report that feedback is most helpful when it is returned soon enough to inform future learning and improvement. Across responses, students most often identified the following expectations:
  
  • Feedback returned within about one week is generally considered timely for most assignments.
  • Feedback returned before the next related assignment or assessment is especially important, regardless of the exact number of days.
  • Faster turnaround (1–3 days) is often expected for preparatory, formative, or practice-based work.
  • Longer timelines may be appropriate for large projects or exams, particularly when expectations and grading timelines are communicated clearly in advance.

Ways to triangulate your data:

• You can use the Course Data Library in Power BI to see the average number of days to return a grade for each assignment in your course (For navigation to the information from the left-side navigation panel, go to Detail Reports > Course Gradebook > Gradebook Overview – “Assignments broken down by individual assignment to compare several metrics” table).
• Reflect on whether students received feedback before the next related assignment, exam, or unit began. Feedback returned after students have moved on is less likely to support learning.
• Comparing grading workflows and turnaround strategies with other instructors who teach similar courses can help identify realistic benchmarks and opportunities to improve efficiency.

Ideas for improvement:

• Some instructors may use teaching assistants to help with grading. The question was intentionally worded to account for various graders, but to still give feedback about the timeliness of grading.
• Reflect on the timing of feedback relative to when students need it most. Consider whether feedback on early or formative assignments is returned in time for students to apply it to later work, or whether delays may limit its usefulness for learning.
• Review course workload and grading practices for opportunities to streamline. Small adjustments—such as prioritizing feedback on key assignments, using rubrics, or providing brief targeted comments—can sometimes improve turnaround time without increasing overall workload.
• Learn from colleagues who teach the same or similar courses. Other instructors may have developed efficient approaches for managing grading timelines, especially in courses with high enrollment or frequent assignments.
• Consult with a curriculum designer for support to explore strategies and tools for timely feedback, such as rubric design, formative assessment techniques, or technology-supported feedback methods that align with your course goals and teaching context.