Assignment Feedback Types

This page provides an overview of the different feedback types available for assignments in Myplace.


Overview of Feedback Options for Myplace Assignments

There are eight options for providing feedback to students through the assignment activity in Myplace:

  1. feedback comments
  2. feedback files
  3. annotating submissions (often called 'online marking')
  4. offline grading worksheet
  5. assignment statistics
  6. inline comments
  7. marking guide
  8. marking rubric

These methods are summarised in the table below and 'how-to' instructions for each of them are signposted.  The first four options are enabled by default when setting up an assignment so, providing these settings have not been adjusted, they will be available.  The next two options - assignment statistics and inline comments - are not enabled by default but can be switched on from within the Feedback types section of assignment settings (see below).  The final two options are termed 'advanced grading methods' by Moodle and can be enabled from within the Grade section of assignment settings (see below).


Feedback options can be accessed in the 'Feedback Types' section of assignment settings:


Advanced methods -namely marking guides and rubrics - are located in the 'Grade' section.  More information about marking guides and marking rubrics can be found on the relevant Support pages.


Blind or Anonymous Marking

Blind or anonymous marking - where the identity of the student is hidden from the marker - is enabled by default in all assignments, in accordance with the University's Assessment and Feedback Policy:

"Anonymous marking (when the identity of a student is not known to a marker and/or exam board) will be used for all assessments wherever possible and appropriate".


Assignment Feedback Options

Below are set out the methods which are available for providing marks and feedback for Assignments in Myplace.  Please read the comments carefully to decide which option is best for you.  'Offline marking' provides information about whether it is possible to enter the marks and feedback without being logged in to Myplace.  If this is possible, an internet connection will be required to subsequently upload the marks and feedback.


Feedback TypeDescriptionCommentsOffline Marking

More Info and links to how-to instructions

(click images to enlarge)

Feedback Comment

Leave overall feedback comments for each submission.  It is also possible to add files such as audio recordings or images.

  • Free-form
  • Can be used in conjunction with other feedback methods such as: annotated pdf (see below)
  • no integrated comments bank available
  • comments can be entered at the same time as marks
  • comments entered via the offline grading worksheet will have no formatting, including paragraphing

Comments can be entered directly into the grading interface (online) or into the offline grading worksheet (see entry below) which can be uploaded when complete.  Comments entered via the offline grading worksheet will have no formatting, including paragraphing.

Simple Direct Grading

How it is presented to students:


Annotate PDF

Allows for in-browser editing of submissions by annotating them with comments, drawings and stamps without the need for extra software. Students then download the annotated version of their work.



  • Allows clearly targeted comments
  • Ability to create and use a comments bank
  • Can be used in conjunction with feedback comments to provide an overall comment on the work
  • Easier to use if you have two screens - one for the marking criteria and one for the annotated pdf
  • Only works with certain file types (.pdf, .docx, .odf)
  • If the submission is not in pdf format, it will automatically be converted to a pdf for the purposes of annotation/marking. There can be significant discrepancies between the original and the presented versions. Tables and graphs in Word seem to be particularly susceptible, as are Word-only features (e.g. smart art).

  • Requires an internet connection
Marking must be done online.  Annotating submissions offline can be done via feedback files (see below) although a suitable program which allows mark-up will also be required.

Annotating an Assignment


Feedback Files

Uploading files such as annotated student work, comments and audio. 

  • Provides opportunity to upload feedback created outside of MyPlace
  • Files can be marked up assignments, documents containing feedback comments or a marking guide, or audio feedback files
  • Files can be uploaded individually or in bulk
  • Marks have to be entered separately, either uploaded in bulk or entered directly into the grading screen
  • Depending on the type of file created, other suitable software may be required
  • If uploading all the files in bulk (in a .zip file), the required naming convention for files could be time-consuming to complete
Marking can be done offline.  Once marking is complete, each file can be uploaded individually or a .zip file containing all the feedback files can be uploaded in one go.Upload Feedback Files in Bulk
Offline Grading WorksheetA worksheet can be downloaded from Myplace (including where anonymous marking is in place) and filled with marks and comments offline.  In the comment column information can be added and will be displayed as it would for the 'feedback comment' option (see above).
  • A good method to use for assignments which were conducted or submitted offline.
  • Can be used in conjunction with feedback files (see above).
  • Quick entry of grades and/or feedback comments
  • Comments entered via the offline grading worksheet will have no formatting, including paragraphing
  • Requires caution or a single person to collate the worksheets if there are multiple markers
Marking can be done offline.  Once marking is complete, the grading worksheet must be uploaded.Uploading marks to Myplace with the grading worksheet
Rubric

Creation of a rubric to be used for marking where markers select the level of grade to be given for each criterion. Comments can also be added.



  • Enables quicker marking
  • Standardised approached for classes with lots of markers
  • Time-consuming to initially set up
  • Feedback doesn't seem personalised to students, unless adequate comments are added
Marking must be completed online, one submission at a time.  There is no option to upload marks or feedback to a marking rubric.

Marking Rubric

How it is presented for markers:


Marking Guide

The student's work is assessed on pre-defined criteria, with the marker entering a comment and a score per criterion. The final score gives the overall grade for the student. 

  • Easy for students to see how their mark relates to marking criteria, meeting the Assessment and Feedback Policy requirements
  • Structured entry of feedback for each marking criteria section
  • Ability to create and use a comments bank
Marking must be completed online, one submission at a time.  There is no option to upload marks or feedback to a marking guide.

Marking Guide

How students see the marking guide:

Comment InlineCopies a submission's text into the feedback comments box so it can be edited. 
  • Does not work on assignments submitted as a document, only on text submissions
  • Feedback comments must also be enabled.
Marking must be done online.





Click Images to Enlarge

Assignment Statistics

Although this is listed in the feedback types section in assignment setting, this is not an actual way to mark - rather it just provides extra information to students. If enabled, the student will be shown a histogram of marks across the class, and statistics such as mean and standard deviation. 

The statistics will be visible to the student when they can see the grade column for the assignment regardless of whether they have a grade so, if using this without blind marking enabled, you may wish to consider hiding the grade column until after the assignment has been marked

Note that, for data protection reasons, this will not be shown where there are fewer than 10 assignment submissions.



How statistics are presented to students