Creating feedback with ImPACT : Improving consistency in feedback through the design of principles of good feedback and creating common QuickMarks

Key findings from this study

• The study found that staff using common QuickMarks reported improved marking efficiency and better balance between positive and developmental feedback.
• The authors report that students demonstrated positive acceptance of the ImPACT-designed QuickMarks, though they required support to act on feedback received.
• The researchers demonstrate that aligning QuickMarks to course learning outcomes enhanced transparency in the assessment process.

Overview

This study developed and tested ImPACT, a set of five principles for constructing consistent feedback in higher education assessment. The principles—Improvement focus, Parsimony/Generality, Accessibility, Clarity, and Consistency and Tone—guided creation of standardized QuickMarks (QMs) used within Turnitin. Two institutions participated across two phases, with psychology teaching staff contributing feedback vocabulary and students receiving the resulting QM sets.

Methods and approach

Teaching staff identified frequently used feedback messages or their most important ones. Content analysis categorized feedback topics. The researchers then applied ImPACT principles to develop common QM sets for each institution. Phase 2 additionally aligned QMs to course learning outcomes. Staff and students reported on their experiences with the implemented QM sets.

Results

Phase 1 staff reported that common QMs enhanced marking efficiency and promoted equilibrium between positive and developmental feedback. Phase 2 students responded positively to the QM sets, indicating acceptability and active use, though students required additional support to implement feedback recommendations. Both phases demonstrated that common QMs functioned as a continuing dialogue mechanism between teaching staff and students, improving assessment transparency. Broad adherence to common QM use among teaching staff remained inconsistent despite the demonstrated benefits.

Implications

The ImPACT principles offer transferable guidelines for designing feedback across higher education contexts. Institutions can adopt these principles to standardize feedback communication while maintaining alignment with course-specific learning outcomes, thereby supporting both teaching and assessment literacy development. Implementation success depends on institutional commitment to encourage consistent staff adherence to common QM frameworks. The framework addresses documented challenges including opacity in assessment processes and enables personalized feedback delivery through structured consistency.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.