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Cohort-Level Feedback

Published on: 11/05/2026 · Last updated on: 08/07/2026

Introduction

The University of Bath Code of Practice QA16: Assessment, Marking and Feedback makes clear that students should receive prompt feedback on all summative assessments. Students consistently report that feedback is most useful when it is individual and specific to their own work; however, we recognise that this may not always be practical, particularly for examinations or modules with very large cohorts.

In these cases, cohort‑level, group or ‘generic’ feedback can still be highly valuable if well-structured and clearly focused on supporting future learning. This page outlines key elements to consider when providing feedback to more than one student.

Identify where students performed well

Begin by highlighting the aspects of the assessment where students, on average, performed strongly. For example:

  • Which questions attracted the highest average marks?
  • Were there particular approaches, arguments, or techniques that were especially effective?
  • Did strong answers share any common characteristics?

It can also be helpful to reflect on what prevented some students from achieving the highest marks on these questions. For example, was there a missing element of analysis, a lack of precision, or insufficient depth? Making these distinctions helps students understand what would improve their performance.

Highlight questions or areas of difficulty

Next, draw attention to questions or topics where students, as a cohort, performed less well.

  • Were there recurring errors or misconceptions?
  • Did students commonly apply an incorrect method or formula?
  • Was key knowledge omitted or misunderstood?

This is also an opportunity to reflect on the assessment itself before the next time you run it. Consider whether the wording or structure of any question introduced illegitimate difficulty, such as unnecessary complexity, ambiguity, or demands unrelated to the intended learning outcomes.

Recommend priorities for future revision

Effective feedback should be forward‑looking, helping students understand how to use what they have learned from this assessment to prepare for future assessments.

  • Which knowledge and skills assessed here will be required again later in the course?
  • Are there particular concepts, techniques, or academic skills that students should prioritise revisiting?
  • Where possible, signpost upcoming modules or assessments where these skills will be especially important.

Students may benefit from a follow‑up session, such as a lecture, seminar, or short workshop, designed to address common issues, model effective answers, or revisit challenging material. Providing access to worked examples or annotated answers can also be very helpful.

Although cohort‑level or group feedback is often used when individual feedback is not feasible, it can be made more targeted through a ‘halfway-house’ approach. For example:

  • Structure the feedback using clearly numbered or labelled sections.
  • Indicate to individual students (via marksheets, a brief note, or the VLE) which sections of the cohort feedback are most relevant to their performance.

This approach helps students engage more actively with feedback without significantly increasing marking workload, and supports students in identifying clear, personalised action points.

Feedback should clearly link back to the marking criteria and be prioritised according to the weighting given to different areas. The marking criteria and the weighting given to different aspects of an assessment should be shared with students prior to the assessment. You can encourage them to revisit this as they contextualise the mark and feedback they have received.

Students will take feedback more seriously and learn more deeply if they are given examples for the points you make in your feedback. However, where feedback is being provided to a group rather than an individual student you should give generalised examples rather than referring to the work of individual students or groups (unless you have their permission). University ordinance section 22.3(e) states that students retain copyright over their assessed work. By submitting it they give permission for it to be evaluated and marked, but this permission does not extend to adapting or broadcasting it (as is arguably the case if you include it in general feedback for the class). Similarly, if you wish to use a student’s work as an exemplar you should seek their permission for this. An alternative is to generate fictional examples, which can be achieved relatively quickly using GenAI.

Sharing best practice

In some areas of the University proformas or templates are being used to help guide staff on what to include in feedback.

SoM Generic Exam Feedback form (1)Download
Example of a Feedback Proforma used in ACEDownload
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