A student once told me that after reading my feedback, she turned to her husband and said, “Ide cares.” That comment stayed with me.
It was kind, of course, but it also captured something I had been trying to do in my courses for years: hold students to meaningful academic and professional standards while making sure they understood that my feedback was meant to help them grow, not simply explain why they lost points.
That moment eventually led me to name the feedback approach I had already been using: the IDE CARES Feedback Model. The model is designed for faculty who want feedback that goes beyond justifying a grade. It helps students understand what they did well, where they need to improve, why the standard matters, and how to carry the feedback into their next submission.
I developed the model in health administration courses, but the structure can work in many settings, especially online, hybrid, writing-intensive, or accelerated courses where written feedback may be the main one-on-one teaching students receive.
Why Feedback Needs More Structure
Many of us were taught some version of the “feedback sandwich”: begin with something positive, address what needs improvement, and close with encouragement. That structure can be helpful, but on its own, it is not always enough.
Students may appreciate the positive tone but still leave unsure what to revise. They may see a rubric score but not understand how their work missed the standard. They may read “APA needs work” or “analysis needs more depth” and not know what those comments actually require them to do next.
Recent feedback research points to a practical reality many faculty already see: feedback only helps when students understand it and know what to do next. Williams (2024) describes effective feedback as a contributor to student motivation, learning, and performance, while also noting that feedback practices can be difficult to deliver well. Dawson et al. (2024) focus on what students actually do with feedback, including how they seek it, make sense of it, use it, and manage their response to it. For instructors, the takeaway is straightforward: feedback should be clear, usable, and connected to the next attempt. That is where IDE CARES comes in.
I: Identify Strengths and Growth Areas
Start by naming what the student did well and where growth is needed. This should be specific, not generic.
Instead of writing, “Good job,” try:
“You selected a relevant topic and clearly understand why this issue matters in practice. The next step is to strengthen the paper by connecting your major claims to scholarly or authoritative sources.”
This opening does two things. It shows the student that you actually read the work, and it frames correction as part of growth rather than punishment.
D: Direct Students Back to the Rubric and Assignment Directions
Students can take grading personally when they cannot see how the comments connect to the assignment expectations. Directing students back to the rubric helps them see that the feedback is tied to criteria, not instructor preference.
For example:
“The rubric requires evidence-supported analysis. Right now, the paper includes a reference page, but the body paragraphs do not include in-text citations showing where source information was used.”
That type of comment is much more useful than “Needs citations.” It tells the student what standard was missed and where to look.
E: Explain Why the Standard Matters
Students are more likely to use feedback when they understand why the issue matters beyond the assignment.
In my courses, I often explain that APA, citation use, professional tone, and evidence-based reasoning are not just academic requirements. They are workplace skills. Future professionals need to document decisions, support recommendations, and communicate clearly with supervisors, colleagues, patients, clients, or community partners.
A feedback comment might say:
“In-text citations are important because they allow the reader to verify the evidence behind your claims. In professional settings, unsupported recommendations can weaken credibility and decision-making.”
This helps students understand that the standard is not just my preference. It is part of the professional skill set they are building.
C: Clarify the Correction Needed
Vague feedback rarely leads to strong revision. Students need to know what to do.
Instead of writing, “Expand this section,” try:
“To strengthen this section, add one current scholarly or authoritative source, explain how it supports your point, and connect the evidence back to the assignment question.”
Instead of “Improve discussion replies,” try:
“In your next reply, directly reference one point your peer made, add a new idea or example, and ask a question that moves the discussion forward.”
Clarifying the correction turns feedback into a next step.
A: Apply Feedback Through Revision or Resubmission Opportunities
This is one of the most important parts of the model. Feedback should not always be the endpoint of learning.
When course policy allows, I invite students to revise or resubmit lower-scoring assignments after reviewing my feedback. I frame this as an opportunity, not a requirement and not a punishment. The message is simple: detailed feedback is most valuable when students are allowed to use it.
A practical resubmission note might read:
“You are welcome to revise and resubmit this assignment after reviewing the feedback. Focus first on adding in-text citations to each major body paragraph, strengthening the analysis section, and correcting the reference page format.”
Faculty should be clear about deadlines, eligibility, and grading limits. But when possible, revision gives students a chance to demonstrate learning rather than simply move on with a low score.
R: Reinforce Confidence While Maintaining Standards
Supportive feedback should not erase expectations. Students need encouragement, but they also need to know the standard still matters.
For example:
“You have a strong topic and a clear interest in this issue. To reach the next level, the paper needs stronger source integration and closer alignment with the assignment criteria.”
This type of feedback communicates belief in the student while preserving rigor. It avoids two extremes: harsh comments that discourage students and overly soft comments that do not lead to improvement.
E: Encourage Questions and Support-Seeking
Students may not know how to interpret feedback on their own. Invite them into the process.
A simple sentence can help:
“Please reach out if you would like help applying this feedback before your next submission.”
You can also direct students to writing centers, library support, APA resources, office hours, sample papers, recorded walkthroughs, or course announcements. In online courses especially, students may need repeated reminders that asking for clarification is part of learning.
S: Support Continued Professional Growth
Close by connecting the feedback to who the student is becoming.
In a healthcare course, I might write:
“As you continue preparing for healthcare leadership roles, the ability to support recommendations with credible evidence will strengthen your professional communication and decision-making.”
In another discipline, the wording may change, but the purpose is the same. Students should understand that writing, reasoning, revision, evidence use, and professional communication are not just classroom tasks. They are transferable skills.
Using IDE CARES in Discussions and Assignments
For written assignments, I often begin with a short overall comment, then move criterion by criterion through the rubric. Under each criterion, I identify what worked, explain what limited the score, and give a clear action step. I usually end with two or three priorities for revision or the next assignment.
For discussions, I use the same model in a shorter form. I might acknowledge a student’s relevant point, direct them back to the expectation for evidence or peer engagement, clarify what a stronger reply would include, and encourage them to ask a question or bring in a specific example next time.
This approach also works well for class-wide feedback. If several students miss the same expectation, I post an announcement or short walkthrough before the next assignment. That saves time and helps students see common patterns.
Making Feedback Manageable
Detailed feedback takes time, but it can be made more sustainable. I recommend creating a feedback bank organized by common rubric areas: content, analysis, source use, APA, organization, discussion engagement, and professionalism. Then personalize each comment with at least one detail from the student’s actual submission.
A “next steps” section also helps. Students do not always need ten things to fix at once. They need to know which two or three changes matter most.
The goal is not to write more feedback for the sake of writing more. The goal is to write feedback students can actually use.
Feedback is Teaching
Feedback should not merely explain a grade after learning is over. It should help students keep learning.
The IDE CARES model gives faculty a practical way to make feedback specific, compassionate, rigorous, and actionable. It reminds students that we see their effort, that standards matter, and that improvement is possible.
When feedback is done well, students do not just learn what they got wrong. They learn how to revise, how to think more deeply, how to communicate more professionally, and how to carry those skills into the next assignment and beyond.
That is the kind of feedback students remember. More importantly, it is the kind they can use.
Dr. Dawn Ide is a healthcare administration educator and curriculum developer with more than 15 years of experience teaching across face-to-face, hybrid, and online postsecondary settings. Her work focuses on healthcare administration education, online learning, assessment design, academic integrity, and workforce preparation.
References
Dawson, P., Yan, Z., Lipnevich, A., Tai, J., Boud, D., & Mahoney, P. (2024). Measuring what learners do in feedback: The feedback literacy behaviour scale. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 49(3), 348–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2023.2240983
Williams, A. (2024). Delivering effective student feedback in higher education: An evaluation of the challenges and best practice. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 10(2), 473–501. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.3404