Dr. Julia Colella (Faculty Focus), Why Students Ignore Feedback and Tips to Fix It!, April 13, 2026

According to Mather and Scheepers (2025), providing students with feedback is one of the most important aspects for teaching and learning. However, it is not uncommon for students to avoid engaging with feedback, even when instructors invest significant time in providing detailed comments. Written/typed feedback is often overlooked, underused, or misinterpreted. If feedback is essential to learning, why do so many students fail to engage with it, and how might instructors rethink their approach? 

Below are some reasons why students may ignore feedback as well as some practical tips to implement to increase the feedback view rate.  

1. Timing of Feedback

The timing of feedback can influence whether students engage with it. As more time passes between completing an assignment and receiving feedback, students often feel detached from the work, reducing their motivation to review comments. Feedback is most effective when it is provided immediately or shortly after an assignment has been submitted, while the material is still in students’ minds, allowing them to connect the feedback directly to their work. Timely feedback also reinforces learning as a continuous process rather than a one-time evaluation. For example, a student who receives brief comments on a draft or quiz within a few days and are encouraged to apply that feedback to a similar upcoming assignment are much more likely to read and act on it than if detailed feedback arrives weeks later, after the class has moved on. 

Tip: Provide feedback quickly when possible, and link feedback to upcoming tasks to encourage application. 

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