By Avi Megiddo and ChatGPT

In the educational landscape, providing individualized and fair feedback to students is a cornerstone of effective teaching. Yet, the task of crafting comments can be a daunting challenge for educators, particularly when faced with the sheer volume of evaluations required.

The Student Comment Generator supports the creation of student feedback based on set performance metrics.

Simplifying Feedback through Automation

The Student Comment Generator is a custom Google Apps Script designed to automate the process of writing student feedback comments in Google Sheets. It works by analyzing performance metrics from specified columns and using predefined phrases to compose tailored comments for each student.

The tool is designed with both efficiency and fairness in mind. By automating the initial draft of student comments, it offers a consistent framework that ensures each student is evaluated against the same criteria. This saves valuable time for educators and fosters a more equitable assessment environment.

Instructions

Setting Up Your Sheet: Begin by entering each student’s first name in column B and selecting the appropriate gender pronoun in column A from a dropdown list. This step primes the tool with the necessary personalization details for each comment.

Defining Performance Metrics: In row 1, cells D1 through K1, define up to eight performance metrics such as Summative completion or Participation. These metrics drive the content of the automated comments.

I teach MYP Design, and we use performance metrics such as overall completion, design cycle knowledge, and original and creative work.

Crafting Performance Descriptors: For each metric, write corresponding low, middle, and high descriptors in columns N through U. These descriptors are used to construct comments reflecting each student’s performance.

The descriptor text should include the placeholder [Name] and the pronouns He, he, His, his, him, and himself instead of actual student names and specific gender pronouns. The script replaces these placeholders with the correct student name and pronouns automatically.

Masculine pronouns are used intentionally in templates for linguistic clarity and reliable substitution. This ensures accurate replacement across all genders during automation.

Generating Comments: With a single click in cell L1, comments tailored to each student’s performance populate in column C. An optional final sentence can be added in column L for personalization.

Continuity for New Classes: Duplicate the sheet for new classes and replace names, genders, and metrics as needed.

Key Components: Understanding the Script

• Data Retrieval: The script identifies the ranges containing student data and performance metrics. Columns D through K store metric levels.
• Comment Construction: The script matches each metric level to predefined phrases in columns N through U and assembles a coherent comment.

• Rich Text Styling: Sentences are color coded based on performance level to enhance clarity.
• Final Output: Comments are written back to the sheet with consistent formatting aligned to each student.

© Avi Megiddo 2023 ·
CC BY-NC