By A systematic review published in Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education in April 2026 examined 81 studies on “feedback literacy” published between 2012 and 2025. It found that the concept has evolved beyond simply receiving comments from lecturers to encompass students’ ability to interpret, evaluate and act on feedback. The review also found that approaches involving repeated practice, dialogue and reflection produced the most consistent improvements.
Against this backdrop, SIM Global Education (SIM GE) is highlighting why students should look beyond the grade itself and learn to use assessment feedback as part of their development as independent learners.
Feedback is becoming part of the learning process, not simply the end of it
A grade provides an indication of how an assignment or examination has been assessed. Feedback can serve a different purpose. Helping students understand what was effective, where their work could improve and how lessons from one assessment might be carried into the next. The concept of feedback literacy was developed prominently by education researchers David Carless and David Boud, who describe it as the capabilities needed to make sense of information and use it to improve work or learning strategies.
Their framework identifies four interconnected elements namely appreciating the value of feedback, making judgements about the quality of work, managing emotional responses to criticism and taking action. This shifts feedback from something students simply receive towards something they have to learn how to use.
For university students, that distinction matters because assessment becomes increasingly varied. Essays, reports, projects, presentations and examinations can test different capabilities, and a weakness identified in one piece of work may reappear if students focus only on the final mark rather than the reasons behind it.
A disappointing result can become useful information
Receiving a lower grade than expected can be discouraging, particularly when considerable effort has gone into an assessment. However, feedback literacy research suggests that managing the emotional response to feedback is itself part of learning how to use it effectively. The next step is to determine what the feedback reveals about the work and what can realistically be changed.
For example, a student may discover that the issue is not simply a lack of subject knowledge. The weakness could instead lie in developing an argument, supporting claims with evidence, structuring an essay, applying concepts or communicating ideas more clearly. Recognising that distinction can change how a student prepares for the next assessment. Rather than responding to a disappointing result simply by studying for longer, students can focus on the particular capabilities that need improvement.
University students also need to learn how to interpret feedback
Not all feedback is immediately actionable. Comments such as “develop the analysis”, “strengthen the argument” or “engage more critically with the evidence” require students to understand what stronger academic work actually looks like. This means learning from feedback involves judgement as much as receiving advice. The 2026 systematic review found that feedback literacy is increasingly viewed as multidimensional and context-dependent, with students needing opportunities to interpret feedback, discuss it, reflect on it and apply it over time.
At SIM GE, Learning Development provides enrolled students with resources and workshops that support areas such as academic writing, critical thinking, reading and learning strategies. Students can also approach the Student Learning Centre for guidance on essay writing and techniques for working on assignments. These resources provide students with opportunities to strengthen the underlying academic skills that may be identified through assessment and feedback, helping them translate comments on one piece of work into improvements in subsequent assignments. Together, these approaches reinforce the idea that academic development does not stop when an assessment is returned.
AI makes the ability to judge feedback more important
The rise of generative AI adds another dimension to the issue. Students can now receive explanations, suggestions and automated feedback from digital tools almost instantly. But greater access to feedback does not necessarily mean that all feedback is accurate, relevant or appropriate for a particular assignment.
Students therefore increasingly need to evaluate the quality of the information they receive rather than accepting it automatically. This distinction has also surfaced in SIM’s discussions about AI-enabled education. During a 2025 academic sharing session with educators from the National Institute of Education, SIM noted that while generative AI offers potential for personalised learning and automated feedback, students continued to value human guidance in understanding where their reasoning had gone wrong and where it was sound. The implication is that AI may make feedback more readily available, but it does not remove the need for students to exercise judgement. In fact, it may make that capability more important.
Learning from feedback extends beyond university
Feedback literacy also has relevance beyond academic assessment. Graduates entering the workplace will encounter feedback from managers, colleagues, clients and other stakeholders. They may need to evaluate criticism, separate useful information from opinion, adjust their work and demonstrate improvement over time. Carless and Boud’s framework therefore positions feedback literacy not simply as an assessment technique, but as a capability that supports learning and improvement.
For SIM GE, developing independent learners involves helping students move beyond viewing grades as the final outcome of an assessment. Academic performance remains important, but every assessment can also generate information about what a student understands, where gaps remain and what could be approached differently next time.
In an environment where students have access to more information and more automated feedback than before, the ability to interpret, question and act on feedback may increasingly matter as much as receiving it in the first place.
References
- Lei, W. and Lei, Z. (2026), “A systematic review of feedback literacy in higher education: concepts, measurement, and interventions” – https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2026.2656285
- Carless, D. and Boud, D. (2018), “The development of student feedback literacy: enabling uptake of feedback” – https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354
- SIM Global Education Learning Support – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/life-at-sim/learning-support
- Little, T., Dawson, P., Boud, D. & Tai, J. (2024), “Can students’ feedback literacy be improved – https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2023.2177613
- SIM “AI in Education: Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and the Human Touch” – https://www.sim.edu.sg/news-events/insights-nie-pays-acad-a-visit
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About SIM Global Education
SIM Global Education (SIM GE) is a leading private education institution in Singapore and the region. We offer more than 170 academic programmes ranging from diplomas and graduate diploma programmes to bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes with some of the world’s most reputable universities from Australia, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, and the United States. SIM GE’s cohort is made up of 17,000 full- and part-time students and adult learners, of which approximately 41% are international students hailing from over 50 countries.
SIM GE’s holistic learning approach and culturally diverse learning environment aim to equip students with knowledge, industry skills and employability competencies, as well as a global perspective to succeed as future leaders in a fast-changing, technologically driven world.
For more information on SIM Global Education, visit 
www.sim.edu.sg
